Paranormal
by DemonHeart42
Summary: I open up the door... The hall is empty... Something isn't right... I'm scared... I'm so scared... When is this going to end!
1. Prologue

**Happy October my ghouls and ghoulies! I am here with a short story for the holidays! Please R &R and I shall see you at the bottom of the page.**

 **POV: Narrator**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, but read if you so dare...**

* * *

A gust of wind rustles the falling leaves of a nearby tree causing them to dance in the air in spiraling circles. The bright full moon casts dark ominous shadows on the ground while a nearby owl hoots from somewhere in the darkness. There is no other noise and even the last of the trick-or-treaters already heading home and late night parties dying to a close.

Even so, through the silent darkness a small group of teenagers brave their way down an empty street which has been abandoned for many years. Their joyful laughter drowns out the still silence and the flashlight beams in their hands chase away the looming shadows. A few from the group show signs of having a little too much to drink causing their minds to haze over with ridiculous ideas like the one they are pursuing at the moment.

"Where are we going," a young teenage girl with long white hair and dressed in an angel costume asks as she leans heavily into her partner who is having a bit of difficulty trying to keep her up, "We've been walking for hours," She complains drunkenly while waving her six inch heels in the air to emphasize her point.

"Sorano, are you too drunk to remember?" a male with tanned skin and spiky maroon hair asks sarcastically over his bare shoulder, "Macbeth is taking us to a haunted mansion," the boys dressed as a snake charmer informs the intoxicated woman while rolling his eyes in annoyance.

"Then why is fatso with us," Sorano asks while jabbing a perfectly manicured finger towards the oldest male in the group who is dressed up as a wandering priest. He hasn't said a word since leaving the party opting to just silently follow near the back of the group.

Keeping the intoxicated girl from falling flat on her face, the blonde male dressed in a race car drivers uniform mutters dejectedly, "He's our ride back home," to which the girl only snorts in amusement before falling into a laughing fit. Her laughter becomes so bad that even Sawyer, the boy trying to hold her up, almost loses his grip on her, "Angel," the male complains while using her nickname to try and catch her attention, "Quit fooling around."

The girl only laughs harder as she continues to sway and stumble while her escort tries everything in his power to keep her from hitting the floor. If she woke up tomorrow with a single scratch on her there would be hell to pay, even if it was her fault.

Macbeth, the gothic leader of this escapade, stops in the middle of the desolate road to look back behind him at the lonely figure a few feet away, "If you don't hurry up you're going to be left behind," he says causing the figure to jump and pick up their pace.

"Sorry," the girl mutters as she races to catch up with her friend who is still waiting for her, "Are we almost there," she then asks once she's beside him, her chocolate eyes continuously surveying the area with a worried glint.

Noticing the girl's nervous appearance he smiles at her reassuringly while asking, "Are you tired," to which she simply nods with a small smile of her own. They continue down the uneven road with the only noise coming from the arguing group behind them, "I'm sorry about my friends," the black and white haired male apologizes as he takes the timid girl's hand in his, "They're really great people once you get to know them, especially Angel."

"I'm sure they are," the girl murmurs with a bright honest smile and a reassuring squeeze from her delicate hand.

How he was able to get such a beautiful girl to go out with him was beyond his imagination. Sure they weren't actually dating per say, but at the rate they were going it wouldn't be too long before he asked her to be his girlfriend, and even that was beyond his wildest dreams. Even the guys thought he was making things up when he told them that he had a gorgeous friend with sun-kissed hair and melting chocolate eyes. They kept saying she was just a figment of his imagination and at times he even thought that himself until he'd talk to her and hold her hand from time to time. Everyone ate their words like bitter medicine when they finally met her at the Halloween party only hours ago and found out that she was the new transfer student from the grand city of Crocus.

After a few more minutes of walking, the small group of teenagers eventually makes it to the ivy infested gates of the largest mansion in all of Magnolia. The wrought iron gates reach as high as ten feet with the crest of what looks like a bird branded into the middle of the thick black gate. A rusted 'Do Not Enter' sign lies on the floor a foot away from the gate doing little to nothing from deterring the teenagers from proceeding further.

Without hesitation, all six teenagers make their way over the crumbling brick wall using the thick ivy hanging from it to help with their ascent. Once on the other side they continue to trek up the long curving driveway while old rotting trees loom above their heads like sinister monsters ready to crush them with their withered branches. A few of the trees even seem to have faces etched on them in grotesque screaming expressions.

"This place gives me the creeps," Erik, the boy dressed up as a snake charmer, mutters while eyeing the trees suspiciously and the dark shadows they cast on the weed infested road.

"Scared Cobra?" Sorano coos as she leans towards the maroon haired male before cackling eccentrically at his distraught expression.

"Piss off Angel," the teen grumpily says just as they reach the end of the road with a tall rotting mansion standing in their midst.

All six teenagers take in the dark beauty of the abandoned building from its broken windows to its decaying brick walls. It looks like a castle with the same emblem at the gate circling over the main doors to the building with weeds and ivy hanging off of the emblem. More ivy and weeds climb up the aged brick covering the house in shades of sickly green and dying brown. The full moon overhead causes shadows to dance behind grime encrusted windows and the creaking of an open door nearby has the hair at the backs of their necks standing on end.

"Now what Midnight?" Erik asks as he walks up to their guide and earns a puzzled expression from the male who is still surveying the mansion with a calculating eye.

"OOH!" Everyone turns to look at Sorano as she clumsily shuffles away from Sawyer, "Let's dare someone to go inside," she eagerly says while reaching into her purse and pulling out an empty beer bottle, "We can use my bottle to see whose going to go in."

Everyone silently looks at each other skeptically. This wouldn't be the first time the eccentric girl suggested something as crazy as this. There have been countless other times in which she suggested to do something that no one wanted to do but did anyway just to impress the popular girl. They all nod, neither willing to back down from the challenge at hand as the girl sets down the bottle on the cobblestone ground while everyone makes a tight circle as she proceeds to spin her bottle.

With every turn the bottle takes the tension within the group begins to build into uncomfortable intervals. They're all wishing that the bottle doesn't land on them for fear that if it does they'll have to do the inevitable on walking through the aging doors to the crumbling building.

Soon enough all noise is sucked out of the air leaving only the sound of the spinning bottle and their own hearts hammering in their chests. A few of the teenagers have even stopped breathing once they notice that the bottle isn't spinning as fast as it had only moments ago. The bottle is spinning dangerously slow now and within its final heart wrenching turns it stops claiming its victim soundlessly.

Five pairs of eyes look up at the victim staring completely stunned at the brown glass bottle that points at them like an accusing finger. The finality of this leaves them breathless as their eyes begin to burn with emotion that could relate to betrayal and fear. How could it have possibly come to this?

"Sorry princess, looks like you're up," Sawyer says breaking the thick silence with his mocking tone as he brings his heavy hand down on the unfortunate girl whose eyes are as wide as saucers.

"Ooh, so the new girl got chosen huh?" Sorano coos while wrapping her thin pale arms around the shell-shocked blonde who continues to stare down at the empty bottle, "What are 'ya gonna do now blondie?"

"Leave her alone," Macbeth growls while taking the stunned blonde's hand and bringing her closer to him.

He urges her to look into his eyes as he searches her own scared ones and regrets ever introducing her to his psychotic friends. Now that she's been chosen they, at least Sorano, won't let her back down. If she were to back down Sorano would no doubt make her life impossible every chance she got at school branding her a coward. Sorano wasn't nicknamed Angel for the fact that she had a sweet gentle heart if not for the opposite reason. It was, in its way, a joke that everyone who met her learned the hard way.

Gently shaking the frozen girl, Macbeth takes the blonde's warm face in his hands forcing her to look at him, "You don't have to do it if you don't want to," and shoots a warning at the white haired girl who was no doubt ready to argue, "It's fine if you don't want to do it," but even as he says this he knows it's a lie.

If she weren't to do this she'd be branded a chicken by not just his group of friends but the entire school. She'd be one of Sorano's newest victims and nothing in this world would be able to save her from social shame, not even him.

"Don't get your panties in a twist Midnight," Erik says while placing a tanned hand on the nervous teenager, "All she has to do is go up the stairs, step through the door and back out without going all the way in and that's it, right Angel?"

"Yeah, that's fine I guess," the white haired female mutters sounding bored as she plops down on the ground beside Sawyer, "That's all she has to do so we can go home."

Sighing, the blonde pats Macbeth's hand and gives him a reassuring smile, "It's ok, I'll do it," she whispers knowing all too well what will happen if she doesn't do this. In her short time at her new school she's learned quickly that when 'Angel' demands something she gets it one way or another.

Without another word she removes herself from Macbeth before bravely walking towards the mansion that screams for her to turn the other way and run. She fights all the warnings ringing inside her head as she climbs the large stone steps that lead to the grand front doors that are covered in moss and drying vines.

From the corner of her eye she watches a few spiders race across the wall and she has to do everything in her power to keep from racing down the stairs and down the spooky dirt path back to her own home. She hated spiders with a passion and seeing them now did nothing to strengthen her resolve to prove to her only friend's friends that she was no chicken. She needed to do this not only for herself but for Macbeth as well.

Taking in a deep breath, she reaches out and grabs the cool metal of the brass doorknob and turns it completely surprised at how smoothly it turns in spite of it being so old and rusted. The door opens with a deafening creak that shakes her to the bone and the darkness that awaits her on the other side leaves her none the braver.

"Come on princess, you can do it!" Sorano cheers while earning a nasty look from all of the silent males causing her to glower right back at them. What was so wrong about trying to cheer the scared blonde on? The way she saw it the girl would no doubt thank her for it in the long run.

Collecting her wits, the blonde closes her eyes and takes another deep breath before opening her eyes and stepping forward through the threshold. She keeps her breath in as her heart hammers in her chest just about ready to pop out and run like hell. More shadows dance along the walls and empty rooms further into the building from her peripheral vision causing her to gulp loudly. She takes at least four steps into the thin hallway before hearing eccentric clapping from the girl who silently pressured her to go in here.

Turning and ready to run out of the building she sees the faces of her comrades smiling and clapping admiring her bravery. For once since the bottle pointed towards her she feels relieved for going through with this. Maybe now she didn't have to be afraid of trying new things and perhaps Macbeth's friends could somehow accept her timid self. Maybe now she'd finally be fully accepted by people who knew her background and not looked down upon just because her family had money. Maybe now she'd finally have friends.

"Way to go princess," Sawyer hoots causing the blonde to smile widely and give a relieved gasp.

"Let's go out and celebrate Blondie's accomplishment," Sorano yells while pointing her empty beer bottle up in the air.

"You're drunk enough as it is Angel," Erik grumbles while staring at the girl with an incredulous look.

"Let's go Lucy," Macbeth says as he holds out his hand towards the blonde whose smile seems to light up the darkness that she's standing in, but before she can take even one step forward the door to the mansion closes with a deafening crash locking the unfortunate blonde within its haunted grasp.

To this day no one knows what happened to the blonde after that.

* * *

 **So I wasn't originally going to post this story since I already have two other stories waiting to be updated, they will be updated tomorrow I promise, but no matter how much I tried I gave in to my own peer pressure and posted it anyway. Plus it's October, the best month of the year and I just thought why not? Hopefully reading a few horror novels and watching all those horror movies will help me with this story. If it doesn't end up even a tad bit creepy then I am sorry, but hopefully it will be good.**

 **There were plenty of things that inspired this story which has been swimming in my mind for half a year now. For one I have to say that I was inspired by that one episode of Dr. Who where they're stuck in that strange hotel that has a room which supposedly shows you your greatest fear (Yes I'm a whovian, don't judge me), Second would be the marching band show from Frank Sullivan named Paranormal, hence the title (If you've read my previous stories and read through my boring author's notes you'll find that I am a band geek... or was since I'm in college and not in band anymore *forevercries*), Third would be the all too classical The Haunted Mansion with Eddie Murphy, and more recently it is also inspired by the anime show Madoka Magica!**

 **Now if you're never seen that show because you thought it was too cutesy and girly, trust me when I say that you are completely wrong. I thought the same thing until one afternoon during summer break I was bored at home with no anime to watch. I had watched a quarter of an episode before hand but got bored and didn't continue watching it until recently, on Oh My Lord did that anime mess me up! I swear whoever created that anime needs like serious psychological help and you'll need it after watching it. Plus it will leave you in your own puddle of tears and anguish... just saying.**

 **Anywho, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of this new installment and if you did enjoy it I also recommend you check out my other pieces of work.**

 **Until next time my ghouls.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Please R &R and I shall see you at the bottom of the page.**

 **POV: Narrator**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, but read if you so dare...**

* * *

"WOW, did that really happen?" a female voice exclaims over the loud roar of the chattering class, her bright blue eyes wide with both fear and excitement.

"Who knows," the raven haired boy telling the story shrugs as he leans back in his chair with a triumphant smirk displayed on his lips, "It's just a story I heard floating around, but I'm not all that sure if it all really happened or not."

"That poor girl," another female with long brown hair pulled up in a pony tail sighs before taking a swig from her 'water bottle' that will probably be confiscated later on in the day.

The previous crystal blue eyes search around the room landing on a head of pink hair only a few feet away from the chattering group. Dark onyx eyes stare out of the nearby open window that lets gusts of cool autumn air to rush into the room cooling down the boy's heated gaze and occasionally ruffling his unruly hair and stark white scarf that wraps around his neck. He looks a little depressed and a tad bit annoyed as his finger repeatedly taps against his desk in an uneven rhythm. To others it seems that he's not paying attention to anything in particular, but the girl has known him long enough to know that that isn't the case.

"What do you think about Gray's story Natsu? Wasn't it just spooky," the girl energetically asks as she jumps behind the boy in an attempt to startle him without prevail.

He doesn't even flinch from the girl's assault as he shrugs his shoulders in a nonchalant manner causing the young girl to pout from the lack of attention. If she didn't know any better she'd think that he was sick from the lack of activity he's been showing since school started this morning. Usually by now he'd be picking a fight with the shirtless raven-haired male and yelling obscenities at whomever else dared pick a fight with him. Seeing him so tame did not sit well with her.

"Natsu, is everything alright," the girl asks trying to get the unfocused teen to look at her.

"Hmm?" Dark obsidian meets with crystal azure that send him a worried look, "Oh, hi Lisanna, what's up?" the boy asks completely unaware of the white-haired female's earlier question of his well being.

Groaning, the girl all but slaps her forehead from the density of her friend's mind. She opts to take the seat next to his as he continues to look at her with a much clearer expression than before. Once she is settled in her usual seat she turns to look at her friend in the eye, "Natsu," she starts and he practically groans in frustration from the familiar tone of his friend's voice, "What's wrong," she simply asks getting to the point so that he won't be tempted to try and step around the question, "You've been acting weird all day and it's really starting to worry me," she goes on while taking his warm hand in her cool one to emphasize her point, "You've been quiet all day and that just doesn't seem to be a thing the great Natsu Dragneel ever does. What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," he starts already trying to pull his hand away from hers, but the look she shoots him stops him short as he sighs heavily and runs a hand down his tired face, "It was just a hard night 's all," he mutters while staring down at his desk in defeat.

It's not that he wants to keep what happened last night a secret from anyone, if not he feels conflicted in talking about it with anyone. He doesn't understand it that well himself, but he's sure understands well enough that it bothers him beyond even his own understanding.

"Is it your dad," Lisanna asks trying to slowly pull whatever is bothering him out. His surprised expression shows that his father isn't the problem if not something else.

"Nah, my dad's doing fine. He's still recovering from the accident but other than that he's fine," Natsu says trying to sound lighthearted to calm the blue-eyed girl to no avail. I guess he can't keep beating around the bush much longer, especially with her, "No, I – it's just a dumb dream I had last night, nothing more," he says while waving his hand to show that it isn't such a big deal, but years of knowing this destructive boy has taught the girl to notice when he's lying through his teeth.

"It's not dumb if it bothers you so much," she argues while pulling his arm hard enough to force him to look at her but not hard enough to hurt him, "What was the dream Natsu? Maybe talking about it will help you clear your mind."

She's right.

Maybe if he did talk about it with someone it might make him feel more at ease. Even talking about it with Lisanna, his closest friend other than Gray seemed like the perfect choice. She wouldn't judge him or question him as harshly as the raven haired male would. There is also no doubt in his mind that if he were to open up she'd no doubt give him advice that could potentially help him, but as luck has it he isn't able to say a single word as the teacher crashes into the room with a pile of papers in his large arms ready to be distributed to the rowdy class.

"I'll tell you later," the pink haired teen mutters as he slips his hand out of the white haired female's hand before turning his attention to his backpack to search for his notebook and pencil, all the while continuing to think about that strange dream.

It's been a few nights now that he's had the same reoccurring dream, but at the same time nothing is ever the same when has the dream. Usually he's wandering through thick inky darkness with occasional shadows dancing around through his peripheral vision only to disappear when he turns to look. Sometimes when he walks through the darkness he's holding a flashlight or a candle to light the way, but it hardly does any good since the light only reaches so far.

Usually the dream is uneventful and he'll spend hours upon hours just trudging through the darkness, but there are times where he's running. He'll run as fast as his legs will let him and he'll feel the blood rushing to his ears practically leaving him deaf as he races down unknown corridors while being chased by objects of figures he can't see. He'll run past room and down endless hallways while always looking for an exit only to find that there is none.

He'll run until he feels like his legs will just give out on him or until the darkness swallows him up forcing him to wake up in his room completely drenched in sweat, his heavy breathing and racing heart the only remaining signs from the startling dreams. He's come to accept the dreams as a part of himself and does little to nothing to fight them off since they don't really scare him all that much. He knows that they're just things created from his own twisted mind and sometimes he even enjoys the small thrill his dreams give him when he wakes up full of energy instead of completely drained.

It's odd, because usually people who have these sorts of night terrors tend to be completely tired and worn out while he, on the other hand, couldn't feel more rested. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that he's always taking afternoon naps during school lectures causing the teachers to just roll their eyes and leave him be. It was something he'd always done as a kid that in truth people would worry when he didn't take his usual naps.

Even the dreams have been somewhat consistent, not including the location where they start; there is one real thing that they've had in common… he's always alone. Sure he feels like someone is watching him from afar and at times he even feels a lingering presence behind him, but whenever he tries to look for the source he's met with empty blackness that swallows any light that does not emanate from his flashlight or candle. Other than that he hasn't ever been faced up against any living, or non-living, form… that is, until last night.

Once again it had been one of those dreams where he's suddenly running down the long corridors. Behind him he can feel the familiar grasping hands of the figures he can't see, figures that melt into the darkness giving it life. His ears are filled with the sound of eccentric childish laughter and the rattling of old wooden marionette dolls that he catches quick glimpses from several mirrors that he passes by.

He pushes himself forward already feeling their tiny hands begin to grasp at his shirt causing him to slightly slow down his progress. Fear pricks at his heart because this is the first time that the darkness, or anything for that matter, has ever touched him. He's not used to feeling anything other than the familiar heaviness that the single flashlight gives while casting its yellowish glow hardly even lighting the path before him.

Before he can react, a fallen chair snags his leg causing the frantic boy to fall and hit the wooden floor with a heavy thud. The laughter intensifies causing his head to pound from how fast his heart is pumping his blood. When he looks up the laughing face of a marred marionette doll looms over him with wide red painted lips that show ivory pointed teeth with blood oozing out like a fresh wound.

More toys surrounded the boy as he tried getting up to flee when he notices that the laces of his shoe are tied around the fallen chair that had tripped him. He desperately pulls at his shoe trying to free his foot as the dolls press closer towards him while reaching out their bone-thin fingers at him. He was frozen in his spot know that even if this was a dream he would be doomed if those hands got a hold of him.

"RUN!"

Without warning, a large object flew out from the darkness hitting the larger of the marionette dolls causing him to angrily search for his assailant. Not needing any further prompting, Natsu had freed his foot from his shoe and was not searching the ground for his fallen flashlight.

After obtaining his only source of light a hand reached out from the darkness and began to drag him along down the long corridor away from the maniacal dolls. Before he knew it they had found the unexpected exit and with a flash of light he had woken up back in his room with the early morning light pouring in through his open window.

"Hey flame brain, let's go," Gray calls while slapping the back of Natsu's head to get his attention.

Obsidian eyes blink a few times realizing that the bell had already rung for their next class and Lisanna was nowhere to be seen. Maybe she had forgotten that she had demanded Natsu to talk to her, or perhaps she was putting it off for later when they actually had time to talk. Either way he didn't mind it all that much since he no longer felt like talking about the topic… at least for now.

"I'm coming," The pink haired male mutters as he stuffs his untouched notebook into his bag before standing up and taking one last look out the open window he had been staring out of this morning and recalls his dream once again.

The last thing he remembered before waking up this morning was the sight of braided blonde hair and the feeling of a cool hand pulling on his own before she was swallowed up by the golden light preventing him from ever thanking her.

Closing his tingling hand into a fist, Natsu slings on his bag before walking out of the room with a single question still remaining in his head.

Who was that girl that saved his life?

* * *

 **So what did you guys think? It really took me some time to put my ideas into words, especially in third person since I'm not all that used to writing in this style. I mean, sure, I did do a few sections in my story Another in third person, but that was only like a small chunk and not a full blown story. Anywho I hope you enjoyed and that you'll keep reading my spooktacular story.**

 **Shout Outs**

 **Great thanks to my Fangtastic Favorite...**

 **\- Shin0a**

 **To my Faboolous Followers...**

 **\- 104688**

 **\- Splendora Lopez**

 **\- Fuinneog5eva**

 **\- satanhell**

 **And to my Spooktacular Reviewers...**

 **\- iamthewerepire = I do wonder what happened to the princess... keep reading to find out and I'm so happy to hear your excitement.**

 **\- Splendora Lopez = You are correct! It's a Halloween short that's been on my mind for a few months now. I wasn't originally gonna post it, but then before I knew it I was editing it and posting it up anyways, so that makes two of us to be unprepared for this story.**

 **Well that's all the shout outs for today.**

 **If you are enjoying my spine-chilling story give me the honor by Following, Favoriting, and Reviewing - remember, reviews are a writers midnight snack - and if you have any questions or haunting ideas you can also PM me and I'll gladly add it into the story.**

 **Until next time my ghoulies.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Please R &R and I shall see you at the bottom of the page.**

 **POV: Narrator**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, but read if you so dare...**

* * *

The sound of a whistle ricochets around the large room causing a few students to cease their dribbling. The large muscular coach scans the room until his calculating dark gray eyes land on a certain teenage boy whose attention seems to be lacking more than usual. Obsidian eyes look up at him in time to understand that he was in trouble… again.

Without a word, the stern blonde male points his finger towards the bleachers in a silent demand to which the pink haired teen somberly follows. No words need to be said as the teenager hangs his head and shuffles his feet towards the rickety bleachers that are partially empty other than the few students who 'forgot' to bring clothes or had excuses from doctors.

Natsu plops himself down in a seat on the third row while grumbling under his breath about how Gray was an ice prick and that Gajeel would pay later on in the day. His head leans on his open palm while he balances his elbow on his knee as he watches the rest of his classmates fool around on the basketball court. He catches a few of his friend's eyes and notices Elfman passing a twenty to Cana who takes it with a big grin and a hearty laugh and waving the bill high over her head for Natsu to see.

Great, now they're betting on him. As if he didn't already have enough things to worry about.

Rolling his eyes, he prompts to leaning back and staring at the roof. The spider web cracks adorning the withered white ceiling were much more interesting than his greedy heartless friends who took sport of his daily shenanigans. If only they didn't expect him to mess up in any way like they do, but then again it is his own fault for putting himself up for failure.

Sighing, Natsu stacks his hands behind his head and closes his eyes already feeling the drowsiness of boredom starting to overtake him. There were still forty-five minutes left until P.E. was over and he was going to take that free time to enjoy a small nap. His earlier thoughts had prevented him from taking his early morning nap in his first class causing him to feel tired and restless. Perhaps that is why he somehow got hit in the head with a basketball and his moodiness caused him to want to pick a fight with both Gray and Gajeel. Who knows what would have ensued had the couch not stopped him in time.

Letting the sound of squeaking sneakers, dribbling basketballs, and basket tosses lull him to sleep, Natsu is in no way prepared to what awaits him in the land of dreams…

 _"Natsu!"_

Dark eyes open to find empty darkness floating above his head. A small light shines a glowing yellow a few feet away from him to his left and it doesn't take long before he realizes that the light is coming from a glowing candle.

He sits up and looks around the dark room finding it to be empty other than himself and the flickering candle that hardly casts any light. The inky darkness seems to sway around him as if holding a terrible unseen force that could pop out and tear him into bloody pieces. The thought has him scampering to his feet while picking up the candle holder and swaying it around him to get a better view of the room, but there's nothing to find.

It's completely empty. Not a single piece of furniture or object pops out when the light of the candle reaches the dark spots around the teenager. Even the floor beneath him is dark and inky when there should be floor whether it is compacted earth, a carpet, or flooring of any kind. It's almost as if he's suspended in the air and walking over a glass floor that just leads down to more darkness. It makes it hard to move with the thought that any step could leave him falling down a dark endless abyss.

Swallowing hard, Natsu takes a tentative step forward to find the ground sturdy and without any holes. He continues this feat by poking the floor in front of him with the big toe of his shoe before stepping down and moving forward. He can feel sweat run down his temple and behind his neck as he continues to move slowly taking extra care on not to make any wrong moves.

His progress is slow and the candle in his hand is becoming smaller and smaller, but even then he continues to remain alone with deep remorseful silence encasing him along with the inky darkness. The only sounds he can hear are the occasional flickering of the candle in his hand and the sound of his hammering heart in his ears. He doesn't even notice the laughter behind him until it's right next to his ear sending a shiver shooting up his spine and freezing him before he takes another step.

" _Play_ ," a deep voice grumbles making even the floor beneath Natsu's feet vibrate, " _Play with me_ ," It groans again, but in a slightly increased wavering voice, " _Play_ ," it insists growing louder and sounding more impatient with each word uttered, " _PLAY!"_

Stupidly braving a glance, dark onyx eye slowly turn to see what stands behind him saying those grotesquely insistent words. Darkness greets his vision, but he's learned well enough that just because something is dark does not mean it does not have something hidden within it, so he turns his whole body around and shining the candle in front of him.

Large glass eyes that bleed red greet him with glowing crimson irises that lock onto him as a wave of a rotten smell hits him with an unbearable force. A large porcelain mouth stretches across a bulbous head practically encasing the whole lower part of its face. The nose which is only inches away from Natsu's face is nothing but a broken gaping hole with shards sharp enough to pierce flesh within seconds.

Blood continues to pour out of the eyes like tears as the crimson irises stare down menacingly at the shivering pink haired teenager, " _PLAY!_ " It demands once again before opening its mouth revealing razor sharp teeth and a mouth big enough to swallow a human whole.

 _"Natsu!"_

Jumping up, a fist goes flying connecting with a jaw as legs get tangled with something sending the boy crashing down a small flight of steps. Screams and shouting startle the boy further as he pushes himself away from what had knocked him down in the first place.

"Get away!" he yells while scurrying backwards with his shaking hands as obsidian eyes scan the brightly lit room around him in a crazed frenzy, "Don't get near me!"

"Hey, Salamander!" a gruff voice yells sounding almost similar to the demanding voice of the man eating doll which sends the panicking teenager over the edge.

"STOP!" he yells while swiping away at the pairs of arms that try to hold him down feeling like the hands of the marionette dolls that had been chasing him and that strange girl last night, "LET ME GO!" he screeches while struggling against the tight hold that is slowly beginning to restrain him, "LUC…"

A hard fist collides against his cheek leaving a stinging sensation bloom on the left side of his face. Dumbstruck, Natsu falls to the floor while holding his check and staring at the dark floor… no, he's staring at a wooden floor painted yellow. The room isn't dark anymore either which means he was able to get away.

Clouded eyes clear up as the teenager's eyes look up at the crowd that's formed around him. Worried eyes of different color and shape stare down at him showering down at him with concern and a few traces of fear. Eyes blink as the gears in his head start turning to reveal that he had had a nightmare in plain daylight, and that the hands he thought were the hands of the marionette dolls were just the hands of his classmates trying to calm him down.

A raven haired teen walks forward while shaking his hand in the air, knuckles red from clearly having punched him into realization, "That's even," he grumbles while touching his own swollen cheek with his bruised hand. Natsu looks down at his hand to notice that it is also red and stings quite a bit from the familiar feeling of having punched something, "Are you done flame brain?" Gray asks before reaching a hand down towards the confused teenager who is currently cradling his swollen cheek.

"Y-yeah," Natsu mutters, as he gingerly takes the boy's hand and allows him to help him get to his quivering feet.

"Natsu," the sound of a female voice has him turning in time to watch a small white object bound towards him with worried crystal blue eyes already asking him the questions he doesn't know how to answer, "What happened," he asks anyway leaving his heart and stomach sinking at the thought that he had caused another calamity.

His eyes travel across those of his classmates who all eagerly wait for his answer with their own worried gazes staring at him as if he were a freak in a circus. This bothers him, but it doesn't bother him as much as the thought of him having a nightmare in plain daylight. What the hell was that?

"I-I don't know," he whispers, his mouth dry and his words wavering, "I think I had a nightmare," he finally admits while staring down at the younger Strauss who clings onto his arm with her worried gaze intensifying.

"What was it about," she asks just as the crowd around them presses in to be able to hear him better.

The image of the doll head causes him to almost return to that dark room, but the stinging of his cheek and Lisanna's firm grip on his arm prevents him from delving too deep into the thoughts of the nightmare. He opens his mouth to answer but the words get lodged in his throat as he then closes his mouth and shakes his head. The fear in his eyes is enough to keep anyone from prying deeper leaving them all silent and troubled at their friend's erratic behavior.

The sound of a whistle causes everyone to jump and Coach Dreyar storms his way towards the group of students surrounding the troublesome teenager. Students part like the red sea and allow him to pass straight towards the root of the uproar who watches him with distant eyes. His eyes survey the damage done, both physical and emotional, as he assesses the situation as best as he can. This wouldn't be the first time Natsu Dragneel has created uproar, but this would be the first time he looked so defeated and terrified of a force only the teenager knew about.

"Fullbuster," Laxus's loud voice booms causing the raven haired teen to jump at the sound of his name, "Take Dragneel to the nurse so that Porlyusica can check you both out, the rest of you go hit the showers and get ready for your next class," the sound of the whistle signals the finality of his demand as students slowly begin to trickle away from the pair who are being cast into the den of a vicious beast.

Natsu doesn't know if he's more afraid of his realistic nightmare or the vicious child-eating-monster that resides inside the nurse's office. He'd take the psychotic nurse over a putrid smelling ghost doll with razor sharp teeth and bleeding tears any day.

Without a word Natsu turns to follow his partner out towards the gym's exit only to feel a small hand still clinging to his arm, "Natsu…"

He looks down at Lisanna's upset face as she pleads for answers with her crystal blue eyes. It's at this moment that he realizes how much he's worried this small girl that he's known basically all his life. She's always stuck by his side no matter how much trouble he's gotten himself into and has always been there when he needed someone to be there for him. Even when his father got in that terrible car crash half a year ago she stuck by his side and comforted him as best as she could.

It's no secret that she likes him, Cana had spilled the news one time during one of her drunken stupors, but Natsu has been able to play dumb about the news for quite a while now. People have also constantly insinuated on him asking the girl out or make her his official girlfriend, but he's played the 'dense' card well enough to have them give up on trying to hook him up with her as often as they had in the past. He's also no stranger to her sidelong glances and lingering touches that show as plain as day of her deep affection towards him.

Sure, he has thought a couple of times of following what others say and just make her his girlfriend, but he's never been able to move past that single thought. Lisanna was his friend, his best friend even, and somehow that's all he's ever seen her as. His heart never races when he sees her or stutters whenever she grabs his hand. He never catches himself wanting to see her or ever deeply wonders what she thinks of him.

All he feels towards Lisanna is platonic love that he shares with just about every one of his friends. This is the main reason why he acts dense towards the topic of her liking him the way she does. He feels that if she doesn't know that he knows that she likes him she wouldn't get hurt, but then again this only causes her to continue trying to catch his attention in the most innocent way she knows how.

"I have to go," Natsu whispers while gently shrugging out of the silver-haired females hold.

She watches him walk away behind Gray with an unsettling weight pressing down on her heart. Somehow watching his retreating form leaves a bad taste in her mouth and an ominous foreboding hanging in the silent air.

* * *

 **So I am WAY behind on updating this story and I can only blame school for this. I've totally forgotten that I was writing this story until I opened up my laptop and found this story staring at me in the face. I'm so ashamed, but I am back and I will make it my honorary mission to complete this story by Halloween to the best of my abilities.**

 **So upon writing this story I realized that I left out one other anime that also helped with the inspiration of this story and that would be Ghost Hunt. If you guys haven't seen it you are missing out. It's a perfect show to watch while October is still in full bloom! I seriously recommend it.**

 **I have also updated my other story Setting the Stars on Fire so you should all check it out and for those of you also reading My Immortal update for this week will be cancelled until next week, and if you're not reading any of those other wonderful stories of mine you should go and check them out.**

 **Shout Outs**

 **Great thanks to my Faboolous Followers...**

 **\- EddingsFan**

 **\- Vaerith**

 **\- Riinachaan**

 **\- Delia365**

 **And to my Spooktacular Reviewers...**

 **\- EddingsFan = I'm so glad to see that you are enjoying it so far. I hope I haven't made you wait to long for this update.**

 **\- Shin0a = You are extremely welcome, and thank you for loving my story.**

 **\- Splendora Lopez = I shall give it my very best! Hopefully watching tons of scary movies will pay off.**

 **Well that's all the shout outs for today.**

 **If you are enjoying my spine-chilling story give me the honor by Following, Favoriting, and Reviewing - remember, reviews are a writers midnight snack - and if you have any questions or haunting ideas you can also PM me and I'll gladly add it into the story.**

 **Until next time my ghoulies.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Bonus chapter! Bonus Chapter! BONUS CHAPTER!**

 **Please R &R and I shall see you at the bottom of the page.**

 **POV: Narrator**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, but read if you so dare...**

* * *

Midnight blue eyes stare in wonder at the dubious teenager sitting in the infirmary bed across from him. Obsidian eyes that are usually filled in an unexplainable fire are blank and clouded. Thoughts and unseen images swim across the dull irises causing the younger teen to worry for his usually dim-witted friend. He knew the pink haired teen long enough to know that something was bothering him, whether it was the scene he caused earlier or something completely different.

Porlyusica, the ill-tempered nurse that hates just about anyone who walks through her door, shuffles around the small infirmary muttering things about 'humans' and 'troublesome' under her breath every once in a while. Her mahogany eyes scan the various containers of medicine in one of the nearby cabinets before taking some aspirin and two ice packs from the nearby fridge.

"Here," comes her brusque words as she shoves both teenage boys the ice packs nearly slapping both of their faces with the cold bags, "Put this on your face and take these," she says while also handing out two pills of aspirin to both boys, "It will help with the swelling," she mutters before heading towards the exit.

"Aren't you going to get us water to take with the pills," Gray can't help ask sounding surprised at the old nurse's cruelty.

No words come from the empty doorway signaling that Gray would indeed have to take the pills dry or search around the small room for some water. He opts to just take the pills as they are feeling the small medicine slide down his throat with little difficulty leaving his mouth dry. He looks over to find that his friend has yet to take his medicine while only holding his icepack to his swollen cheek which has already begun to bruise like his own.

The small room is silent other than the slight squeaking of the overhead fan and occasional rustling of the curtain from the nearby open window. The sound of birds chirping filters into the room slightly relieving the rooms thick silence, but it does little to calm the raven haired teen. Silence like this would have already irked the pink haired teen making him demand to be released back to class so that he can resume his nap. Instead he just sits there staring at his open palm where the two pills remain untaken.

"What's wrong," Gray finally asks unable to take another second of the boy's erratic behavior, "You've been acting weird all day and it's seriously starting to worry me."

Obsidian eyes look up to meet midnight blue and the concern showering back at him says that he's doing it again. He's spacing out and making everyone around him worry when he doesn't even know what's going on. I mean, what is he supposed to tell Gray, his dreams? Surely if he were to tell Gray what's been haunting his head for endless nights would surely worry him even more.

"Look man, I don't know what's going on but you're scaring people," Gray's voice breaks through Natsu's thoughts causing him to flinch at the words being said to him, "That little scene you just pulled was not something you'd usually do so I know that there's something wrong, so spit it out." Gray Fullbuster, not one to beat around the bush when it comes to his friends.

"I don't know," Natsu whispers loud enough for the raven haired male to hear him. The boy's expression shows that he's not going to let it go causing Natsu to sigh heavily before his eyes shift up towards the white tiled ceiling, "I've been having these weird nightmares," he finally admits with a defeated tone, "They're very frequent ones and usually I can handle them, but lately they've been… different."

"Different how?" Gray asks while picking up his icepack and gently placing it on his throbbing cheek. Ur was going to kill him when he got home.

"Usually in the dreams I'm walking alone through dark corridors or running away from an unseen force," he explains while continuing to look up at the ceiling, his voice slightly hoarse and heart picking up speed, "But last night was completely unlike any of the dreams I've ever had. There were things… dolls, chasing after me when there's usually nothing but darkness behind me. Their laughter was dark and creepy and no matter how fast I ran I couldn't shake them off. I eventually tripped on a chair and fell and if it weren't for the girl I would have probably been caught by those weird looking dolls."

"Girl?" Gray perks up at the thought of his usually dense friend ever having dreams with _any_ female he might or might not know, "What girl?"

Broad shoulders lift and fall so quickly Gray almost misses the gesture, "I didn't get to see who she was, but she saved my life," Natsu says in a low whisper that Gray almost misses his words, "And today I had another dream, which is why I woke up screaming," Natsu admits almost shamefully, "I thought you were the monster from my dream so that's why I punched you, but I guess you're so ugly that I couldn't tell you two apart," comes his mocking comment showing the male that his friend was starting to slightly recover.

"You wish you were as good looking as me," Gray retorts while throwing his pillow at the teenager who surprisingly doesn't fight back. Instead he lets the pillow hit him as he closes his eyes and falls onto his back with a small 'oof' leaving his mouth, "Do you think it was the girl from my story," Gray then asks after a few beats of silence causing onyx eyes to open and look at him with a questioning look.

"What story," he asks sounding completely oblivious to the fact that Gray had told a scary story this morning to both Cana and Lisanna before class started.

Really, this guy was an idiot.

"Never mind," Gray mutters with the roll of his eyes before staring off at the several informational posters hanging on the walls to the infirmary.

A few personal pictures hang on the walls in frames or just simply taped up. Some of the pictures hold familiar faces while others have strangers staring back at him with happy eyes and wide smiles. There are even a few pictures where the usually glowering nurse is giving back a small smile. It looks so natural on her that he'd almost mistaken her for somebody else.

"You both are still here," a harsh voice asks causing both boys to sit up and look at the doorway, "I thought you'd both have left by now," Porlyusica says while carrying in a box of probably new supplies for her to restock on.

"You haven't told us that it's fine to leave," Natsu mutters while glaring at the woman already heading out of the door again.

"It's fine for you to go," she grunts over her shoulder, "Now get out and don't come back unless you're dying," and with that she's out the door again without so much as a glance back at the bruised boys.

"Let's go," Gray says while jumping off of his bed before looking back towards Natsu who has gone back to staring at his pills contemplating on taking them or not, "Hey man," Gray says in a tone that has Natsu cringing away from what he really doesn't want to hear, "You do know it was only a dream, right? None of that was real, so don't think about it too much."

But it was real, in its own special way and that's what had Natsu on edge. As he sits on the infirmary bed he can feel the cold hands of the dolls clawing at his back and hear their high-pitched laughter fill his ears. The icepack in his hand feels as heavy as the flashlight or candelabra that he's held and somehow his heart just won't calm down. His muscles feel tense as if he's getting ready for a big race and the tingling sensation on his other hand reminds him of the strange blonde girl, but only the pills remain in that hand.

How could he ever make Gray or any of his other friends understand what he was going through?

"I know," he sighs, once again in defeat, as he throws the two pills in his mouth and swallows hard before jumping off the bed and following his friend out of the door without another word.

* * *

 **So because I'm running late on this story why not a midnight Bonus chapter to bring forth the monsters from under your bed?**


	5. Chapter 4

**Bonus chapter! Bonus Chapter! BONUS CHAPTER!**

 **Please R &R and I shall see you at the bottom of the page.**

 **POV: Narrator**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, but read if you so dare...**

* * *

The afternoon bell rings signaling the end of another school day much to the student's pleasure. Groups of kids of all shapes and sizes stream down Fairy Tail Academy's halls retrieving their things from their lockers to later make the long walk home. Laughter and animated chatter fills the halls making it near to impossible to hear anything else but the energetic buzz. It's enough to keep the pink haired teen from thinking too much as he retrieves his coat from his locker so that he can head on home along with his friends.

"Natsu, hurry your ass up or we're going to leave you," Comes Cana's voice from across the hall causing a few heads to turn her way.

"Coming," he shouts while zipping up his jacket and fixing his scarf before following the small group down the stream of students towards the school's front exit.

Around him his friends talk about the upcoming tests and homecoming dance that would take place the week after Halloween which takes place tomorrow. They talk about other things that the quiet teenager blocks out as he watches a few nearby trees lose their leaves to the wind. He follows a single maple leaf flutter in the wind in an intricate dance casting golden colors across his vision before joining the other leaves on the cold ground.

Cool breezes blow on by the group making the girls shiver, but the guys stand strong completely unfazed by the wind. It actually adds to the fiery beauty of fall, and there's nothing more that Natsu could enjoy than this. Fall is his favorite season with the changing of the season, steaming hot cups of hot chocolate that hardly even scald his tongue, bike rides through the leaf strewn streets, and the sight of the world blazing in the fiery colors of fall. Plus there was both Thanksgiving and Halloween to look forward to and he loved nothing more than scaring people and stuffing his face with turkey.

"So where are we meeting up tomorrow," a girl with long red hair that couldn't have matched the season more perfectly asks as she nears the group along with her boyfriend Jellal who is as quiet as ever. Her large coffee eyes look expectantly around the group as they greet both her and Jellal who quickly moves to make conversation with Gajeel and Gray.

His blue hair sways under the charcoal beanie he is wearing practically covering the intricate tattoo that decorates around his right eye. His brown eyes glisten with laughter along with the others and when he smiles he doesn't look so out of place compared to when he's quiet. He's actually the first of the couple to notice Natsu Dragneel silently walking just outside the circumference of the lively group.

Midnight blue and crimson eyes answer the questioning brown that now is not the time to ask, unfortunately this doesn't reach the hard headed red head whose eyes zero in on the pink haired teen's bruised face.

"Natsu," comes her icy voice that freezes the boy in place making him shiver the way the cold air could not, "What's that on your face?" Fear not only strikes the pink headed teenager as the raven haired male quickly tries to hide his own matching bruise with little luck, "What about you Gray? Can you tell me what happened to your face?"

"It was him!" Gray yells as he falls to his knees while covering his head with evident fear strangling his words, "He punched me first while he was going crazy and then I punched him back to snap him out of his stupid."

"What the hell did you say ice princess?!" comes Natsu's angry bellow as he balls up his hands ready to go after the coward he calls a friend, more like traitor.

Small hands wave in front of Erza trying to get her steely attention away from the boys causing brown to meet warm blue, "It wasn't his fault," Lisanna quickly interjects knowing that if the red head wasn't stopped now there would be a horrible rampage to pay for, "Natsu had a nightmare during class today and accidentally hit Gray in the face."

"Yeah, knucklehead over there mistook me for some creepy monster or something," Gray adds sounding a lot braver than he did just five seconds ago.

"Well you are pretty ugly," Cana retorts causing the boy to glare at her as she smiles at him with mirth in her eyes.

A dark aura rises behind Natsu and he has to do everything in his power not to just bolt away. He wouldn't get too far to be honest even if he tried. Instead he opts to slowly look over his shoulder to watch eyes burn a crimson color burning with anger. He gulps knowing that he's in for it with nowhere to escape.

"You. Were. _Asleep_. In. Class?" Comes Erza's slow dark words leaving the younger teenager with knowledge that his life has now become significantly shorter. If he survives this time it will be by some clear miracle that has thankfully come in the form of Jellal.

"Give the kid a break," Jellal says while wrapping an arm around his girlfriends fuming shoulders, "He probably had a hard night last night and couldn't sleep," he urges, not completely far from the actual truth itself.

Taking in a deep breath, Erza calms herself as she drops her shoulders while continuing to glare down at the shivering teenager, "Fine," she says, her words loud and commanding, "But if this happens again I won't be so understanding," and with that she leads the group back down the sidewalk towards the same street they all conveniently live on.

Before she gets too far, Erza notices the distant glint in her friend's eye. She's tempted to stop again and demand for Natsu to spill anything on his mind, but opts to continue walking. There will be time later to talk about whatever is clearly bothering him, and if he didn't willingly open up to her she could opt to beating it right out of him. The thought causes her to have a little skip to her step that clearly worries the bluenette male whose arm still resides around her now chipper shoulders.

"Alright, so back to business," Cana yells as she races towards the front of the group and starts to walk backwards to catch everyone's attention, "So where do you all want to meet up tomorrow before we paint this town red? No offense Erza," the red head just huffs towards the younger woman whose dark brown eyes dart around the group to get ideas, "I suggest that we all meet up early so that we can hang out the entire day!"

"Ooh, we could go to a haunted house," Lisanna suggests causing her blue haired partner to shake her head vigorously at the prospect of walking through a creepy house. Not to mention the thought of being paired up with Gajeel who had a knack at scaring her, although that wouldn't be such a bad thing if she thought about it.

"All the haunted houses here are lame," the very heavily pierced male exclaims, his deep voice resonating across the whole group, "We need a good haunted house to go to if not then count me out," he says much to the chagrin of the short blue haired girl.

"How about the Phantom Lord Mansion?" Natsu asks before he even knows what he's saying.

Seven pairs of eyes stare at the unusually quiet teen that looks back at them with a questioning look. Had he said something bad?

"Idiot, you do know that's the most haunted place in all of _Fiore_?!" Gray asks with wide disbelieving eyes completely appalled that his dumb friend would even suggest such a place.

"Isn't that the mansion where that girl disappeared in your story?" Lisanna asks, her crystal blue eyes filled with a worried wonder. Her fear only grows with the stiff nod of the raven haired male's head.

"Now that's my kind of place," Gajeel says with a broad smile adorning his face, "I've always wanted to go there ever since I arrived to Magnolia. Maybe I should invite Juvia so that she doesn't stay home alone," he continues much to the disbelief of everyone else.

A small punch has the taller male looking down to meet brown eyes glaring up at him with that looks he's come to get used to in his short time in Magnolia, "Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself?" Levy asks the older male while crossing her arms across her tiny chest, "If you aren't aware that place is heavily locked up and strictly off limits. Besides, nobody's been there for a really long time and who knows what kind of dangers we can face if we try to break in."

Silence settles around the group as a wave of disappointment crashes onto them upon Levy's words. Their fun would have to probably revolve around the class D haunted houses that surrounded Magnolia and hardly could even be called scary.

"We don't have to go past the gate," Erza comments, a scheming look burning in her eyes, "We can just walk by, take a look, and then be on our way." She says with an indifferent shrug of her shoulders much to most of the group's pleasure.

"It's settled then," Cana cheers while beginning to walk away, "Tomorrow we go ghost hunting," and before the blue haired girl and raven haired male can complain everyone races down the street to their own homes more than excited for tomorrow's adventure.

* * *

 **And another Bonus chapter because why the heck not? The more reading the merrier right?**

 **Well once again, Until next time my little phantoms.**


	6. Chapter 5

**I AM EXTREMELY LATE UPDATING THIS STORY AND I AM SOOOOOOO SORRY! Answers will be given but in the meantime please R &R and I shall see you at the bottom of the page.**

 **POV: Narrator**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, but read if you so dare...**

* * *

The sound of running feet ricochets along the endless hallway as the sound of laughter drifts just under it. Exhausted panting mixes in with the loud noise as feet skid across the carpeted floor to turn another corner only to be met with a dead end and wooden doors on either side of the hallway.

"Shit," comes the inaudible gasp as eyes dart around for any possibility of an escape other than the doors, but there is none.

If it were any way possible the girl would continue running on forever to get away from the dolls chasing her down and avoid entering through any doors that didn't have a gold doorknob. She tries looking for a gold doorknob, but she's met with brass and this only makes her panic because she really doesn't want to go into a room that each holds a different nightmare, but she also doesn't want to be caught by the psychotic dolls chasing her down.

 _"Come play_ ," comes the eerie chant from the dolls that are quickly turning the corner making it impossible to go back.

Taking the chance, the girl takes the knob of the closest door before swinging I open and jumping inside just as the first small hand swings to grab a hold of her. Without even missing a beat she slams the door closed behind her before turning to greet the next nightmare she needs to defeat.

* * *

"I'm home," Natsu calls with a slightly defeated tone as he shrugs off his sweater and removes his shoes to place them both inside the closet by the door's entrance.

Silence greets him, not much to his surprise, as he walks down the short corridor to end up in the living room where his oddly blue cat Happy is sound asleep in the nearby ottoman. The cat's soft purrs resonate through the still silence causing the boy to feel slightly glum. The thought of his father still not being home from the hospital and making an endless amount of noise in the kitchen bothers the boy.

It's been three months already since his father was crashed by a drunk driver. He had almost lost his life, but thanks to the fast acting first responders and well trained doctors his father was able to pull through. The only bad thing was that his father fell into a coma leaving Natsu alone with all the legal work that needed to be put in place for a court hearing.

He wanted nothing more than to throw the bastard who put his dad in the hospital in prison while he was left with nothing other than a few broken ribs and a memory that led to darkness. Sadly the teenager had no knowledge of those legal matters causing his father's lawyer to go on to work with Natsu's aunt who lived all the way up in a somewhat secluded town name Cait Shelter. This caused Natsu to hear very little about the legal matters taking place to defend his unconscious father. Thankfully he wouldn't be kept in the dark for too long with the news of his aunt coming down with her daughter from Cait Shelter to live with Natsu and become his legal guardian until his father woke up.

Sighing, Natsu trudges up the carpeted stair towards his room situated near the back of the house on the second floor. Happy stirs in his sleep at the sound of his owner retreating to his room but does nothing to follow as he simply rolls over and falls back asleep. Ignoring his feline friend, Natsu reaches the landing of the second floor and pauses as the closed door of his father's room comes into view.

This is a daily routine the pink haired teenager has come to repeat on a daily basis. He'll climb the stairs, pause at the landing, and have obsidian eyes stare at the wooden door for long periods of time. There are times where he'll brave to open the door and take a look inside before closing the door a minute afterwards. Other times he'll just walk on by and head straight towards his room and avoid leaving his sanctuary until his stomach demanded to be fed, which happens more often than it should.

Natsu is tempted on walking by the room, but somehow an invisible force pulls him towards the door like the line on a fishing rod. His steps are slow and small, but he reaches the door in no time which leaves a little uneasiness inside his stomach. This always happens when he gets to his father's door but it isn't because he's scared. No, it's mostly because he doesn't want to feel the disappointment he always gets when he opens the door to reveal it to be empty. Even then he continues to place his slightly shaking hand on the cool metal knob.

 _Don't open it._

Startled, Natsu quickly looks over his shoulder to look for the voice he had heard only a second ago. The door to his Father's study stares back at him but other than that he's all alone with his cat still sleeping down in the living room just a tad bit out of his sight. A chill runs up the teenager's spine leaving a bad taste in his mouth, but even then he doesn't stop from turning the knob and pushing the door open to reveal Igneel's room just the way he had left it months ago.

Bright afternoon sunlight pours in through the clear windows showering the room in clean golden light. Champagne walls are covered with several picture frames and paintings of blurred landscapes that you have to study hard in order to tell what it is. His father's covers, which he's sure need to be changed soon, are a pristine white with pastel roses embroidered into the warm soft fabric and dark burgundy bed posts sticking out of the corners of the side of the bed with a tall thick headboard at the head of the bed.

The old-fashioned decorations are not only a common thing around his father's room but also around the house. It makes the house scream femininity all around even though only two, three counting Happy, males live inside the house. It's just not natural.

A few of Natsu's friends have made fun of the neat girliness of his home, but the taunting wouldn't last long after they learned why his house was in such a state. It was actually all because Lisanna had been the one to explain to everyone that his father was the one who kept the house that way. The taunting's would increase for only a few more seconds until everyone slowly learned why his father did what he did.

Natsu's parents' love story was basically like any old movie love story that ever took place. His father was a no good troublemaker at school who flirted endlessly with anything wearing a skirt. He was a smart man but his lack of interest in school caused his grades to drop considerably enough that the school threatened that he'd have to retake his senior year. Much to their warnings his father did fail and had to retake his senior year if not his parents threatened of kicking him out of their home and cutting all ties with their no good son to keep him away from their youngest daughter.

Igneel Dragneel, in order to keep from being separated from his beloved younger sister Grandeen, decided that he would follow his parent's orders and went back to school to graduate from high school. However, just because he returned to school did not mean that he'd put all of his devotion into his studies. His grades were high enough to keep him passing, but his rebellious attitude and flirtatious ways still kept on getting him into trouble. That is, of course, until he met _her._

Her name was Christabel and a transfer student from the Pergrande Kingdom. Her father was a wealthy business man who was currently making business deals with the great trading center Love and Lucky in Fiore. Her family had enough money to build their own mansion if they so wished, but instead lived in an elegantly simple home.

Christabel was nothing like the girls who lived around Magnolia whom Igneel was so used to flirting with. Her attire always consisted of simple elegant dresses or skirts and fine pressed shirts and wore little to no jewelry unlike the girls in school who loved to wear flashy jewelry and overdid it on their makeup. Christabel had natural beauty that she had no need to wear any makeup other than a bit of blush and some lipstick on her delicate lips. Her hair was always nicely groomed and flowed in long chocolate waves with wide hazel eyes that shined with an innocence Igneel was not accustomed to. She was a lady through and through with a playful heart and a bright free soul. She was also one year younger than Igneel Dragneel.

The actual day Igneel Dragneel met face to face with Christabel Frair was on the day he and some friends decided to play a prank on their teacher. They placed a bucket of white paint over the door making it so that once the teacher passed through it would fall atop his head drenching him in the paint. Igneel's one miscalculation was the fact that one student was running late and that student happened to be Christabel Frair who pulled the door open sending the bucket of paint sailing down on her head.

Shocked silence filled the room like a deadly gas. Christabel stood at the doorway watching the paint trail messy lines down her dress and drip onto the white linoleum floor. It wasn't long before a few of the pranksters, including Igneel, began to snicker at the sight of the much loved foreigner. Their laughter ceased once deadly golden eyes shot up to glare at the group of misfits before landing on dark obsidian eyes that were filled with mirth.

Fury burned within the girl's eyes as she stormed forward knowing fully well who had placed the bucket over the door. Dark obsidian eyes opened wide just as a thin hand raised to give a deadly blow, but upon closing his eyes there was no pain or contact of any sort. When Igneel opened his eyes again he was met with the sight of falling tears and a hand only centimeters away from his cheek. It was at that moment Igneel couldn't help but feel his heart tighten over the poor sight of the usually neat girl who was now turning and running out the door. Without knowing Igneel was running after her without a mind as to what he would do now.

The events that followed were like any basic romance movie/story where Igneel tried with all his forces to be noticed by the beautiful Christabel who refused to meet his eye. Unfortunately for her it wouldn't take long before she too fell under his charm like many girls before her. This, however, brought upon many trials and tribulations with her friends and family trying to keep her away from such a 'worthless' and 'penniless' man.

As hard as the couple fought there was one thing that even they couldn't fight and that would be the announcement of Christabel returning back to Pergrande Kingdom with her parents. She would have been forced back to the country if it weren't for one minor detail that no one other than Christabel and another friend knew. Christabel was pregnant and upon the news her parents disowned her in a fit a fury leaving her behind without so much as a glance back.

Christabel dropped out of school and began living at Igneel's parent's house until they were able to buy a small apartment with the money Igneel began to earn while working part-time at a local mechanic shop. During the day he went to school and did his best to ace his classes so that he would at least be able to enter the fire department and become a firefighter to provide for his new family.

The years that followed were happy ones that usually only come out of fairy tales. His parents were always smiling and looking at each other with deep love and affection in which they showered down on their only baby boy. Natsu could occasionally remember small details of his childhood from when his mother was still around, but as luck would have it she was taken along with the sound of screeching tires and breaking glass.

His mother's passing had been hard on the Dragneel men, especially Igneel who had completely shut down upon the news of his wife's passing. Natsu, on the other hand, was only five at the time of his mother's passing with hardly any knowledge of what was going on. All he knew was that mommy was no longer coming home and his father would spend countless hours locked away in his room doing nothing but stare at the ceiling or simply sleep. This lasted for almost two years before he finally snapped out of it.

"Your mother came to me in a dream," he had announced after surprising the young seven year old with an uncommon breakfast of pancakes and bacon, "She scolded me for abandoning you and leaving the house to go into ruin. She even yelled at me for allowing her prized magnolia tree to dry up."

Natsu had welcomed the return of his upbeat father and enjoyed nothing but the adventures they would both go on whenever his father didn't have to go to work. There were times when Igneel would suddenly close up at the mention of his wife leaving Natsu to worry of another with drawl, but thankfully that day never came. Instead his father would perk up and delve into another story about Christabel brightening the mood once again.

Once the scare of his father suddenly abandoning passed Natsu came to worry about the work his father was in. Sure, hardly any major fires overtook Magnolia and his father was mostly called by children whose cats were stuck in trees, but whenever there were fires they always left Natsu anxious and wondering if his father would come home. Never in his wildest imagination did Natsu ever think that he might lose his father the same way he lost his mother.

A mother whom he could barely even remember what she looked like.

* * *

 **So this chapter is MONTHS overdue. I had hoped to finish it by Halloween but we all know that didn't happen and after that this chapter kind of gave me writer's block. Then I was having troubles at home, the holidays were approaching, finals were taking up my time, due dates for my other two stories kept getting in the way, and before I knew it this story went to the back of my mind and I forgot about it for a while. It wasn't until a few days ago when I got a review that I even remembered that I still had yet to update.**

 **Today I had the mindset of writing chapter 5 and guess what guys? I had somehow already finished this chapter about a month ago but never updated it (-.-') I literally almost flipped the table. Well either way this story now works in my favor because we are in the month with the second scariest holiday I know, Valentine's day. Plus I've done more research for my story and am filled with new ideas that may make this story a little bit longer than I had intended it to.**

 **Anywho, I hope you all enjoy and that you haven't given up on this story yet because I know I haven't. Know now that my mantra is and forever will be, "A story started will be a story ended," so know that we will reach an ending.**

 **Shout Outs**

 **Great thanks to my Fangtastic Favorites...**

 **\- tarafredritz**

 **\- Ange1ofD3m0ns**

 **\- Archdale**

 **\- alexbonita**

 **To my Faboolous Followers...**

 **\- tarafredritz1**

 **\- lucykalysah**

 **\- Clutstant14**

 **\- JcL107**

 **\- Ange1ofD3m0ns**

 **\- Archdale**

 **\- alexbonita**

 **And my Spooktacular Reviewers...**

 **There will be no review answers for this chapter since so much time has passed but know that I have read your reviews and all I have to say is sorry for the wait.**

 **Well that's all the shout outs for today and I'll do my best to update this story sooner.**

 **If you're enjoying my spine-chilling story give me the honor by Following, Favoriting, and Reviewing - remember, reviews are the reminders I need in order to update faster - and if you have any questions or haunting ideas you can also PM me and I'll gladly add it into the story.**

 **Until next time my ghoulies.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Please R &R and I shall see you at the bottom of the page.**

 **POV: Narrator**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, but read if you so dare...**

* * *

The sound of loud purring startles Natsu awake who sits up with a jolt and drags cloudy eyes around the strange room which is clearly not his own. It takes a few minutes before the disgruntled teenager realized that he fell asleep inside his parent's room and was awakened by a loudly purring Happy. He hadn't even realized that he had even gotten near his parent's bed before he was suddenly falling and sleeping dreamlessly on the comfortable mattress.

Scratching his unruly pink hair, obsidian eyes land on the nearby hanging clock reading the time to be a little past eleven. He groans because he wants to go to sleep, but the sound of Happy's insistent purring and the grumbling of his now empty stomach cause him to stand up. As he does so he feels something slip down his lap and land on the soft carpet with an inaudible thud. Natsu quickly realizes that it's a picture frame and hurriedly picks it up to put it back where he unknowingly got it from.

Just before he sets the picture down on the nearby vanity, Natsu catches the sight of chocolate hair and warm hazel eyes. The picture in his hand is of his mother walking down the park with her hair blowing around her in the summer breeze. Her left hand is firmly grasped around the small pudgy hand of a three year old Natsu who is too preoccupied with a flower in his hand to bother looking up to where his father is taking the picture.

Christabel's smiling face leaves Natsu feeling once again empty with slight guilt and sadness. Guilt from the thought of not being able to remember his own mother and remorse from the fact that he would never really know the true love of a mother.

From the picture in his hand and the stories he's heard Natsu can completely understand why his father never remarried even after all the insistence from his sister and friends. In a way Natsu is glad his father never found another woman to love and remained faithful to his high school sweetheart.

There were times Igneel went on dates set up by his friends and even his sister, but they never escalated to be anything other than a simple date. If Natsu's memory served him right his father never saw the same girl twice and was always home before ten, just in time to relieve the babysitter and tuck Natsu into bed. Sometimes, however, Natsu thinks that it's his own fault that his father never remarried, but Igneel has never agreed to that notion, "Your mother is the only one for me," he would always say causing the pink haired boy to feel just a bit less guilty.

Sighing, Natsu places down the picture where it belongs before standing up and heading towards the door with Happy at his heels. He holds the door open so that the cat can pass through and takes one last look inside the room before closing the door tightly behind him. Once out in the hall Natsu is more than tempted to skip dinner and head straight for his room, but Natsu Dragneel doesn't skip meals, and Happy is insistently threading himself through Natsu's legs to show his own hunger.

"Alright, I'm going," Natsu grumbles as he climbs down the stairs with Happy quickly racing down the steps to wait for him at the bottom.

Once Natsu finally makes it into the kitchen he fishes through one of the cupboards before pulling out a small can of tuna for his overly insistent cat. He opens the can with a nearby can opener before dumping the smelly gooey food into Happy's bowl. Happy quickly digs into his food as Natsu pulls out some bread and peanut butter to eat for dinner. He's much too tired to make anything else at the moment and a peanut butter sandwich on toasted bread seems like the faster route to go.

As he places the bread into the nearby toaster, Natsu leans on the counter with the back of his head tapping the back of the cupboard gently. All he can hear is the sound of happy eating and the soft drip of the nearby sink he has yet to try and fix. He's been meaning to fix it for a while but keeps on putting it off still determined that his father will fix it when he wakes up, because he _is_ going to wake up.

A creak in the floorboards makes Natsu jump as his dark eyes scan the room to see that Happy hasn't moved from his place beside his bowl. His tiny ears twitch towards the sound, but other than that he continues to lick the bowl clean too preoccupied to even be curious.

Natsu looks around the room as he pushes himself off of the counter and moves towards where the doorway leads to the nearby diner and living room. Another creak stops Natsu short just under the doorway as a chill runs up his spine making his heart pick up speed. He doesn't know why he's so tense, but I guess it has to do with the fact that nobody else should be inside the house but him and Happy. Also there's the fact that the noise came from upstairs.

Turning to go back in the kitchen, Natsu's dark eyes scan the room once again in case something might've changed while he had his back to the room. Crème colored walls and eggshell blue painted cupboards greet him with typical 'Flour', 'Sugar', and 'Coffee' containers littering the counters. A small breakfast table sits in the middle of the room with an empty vase while old-fashioned decorations and pictures cover the wall here and there. An old white and black clock hanging just above a hardly used calendar ticks away the passing seconds as Natsu continues to stare around the room.

It's quiet times like these that Natsu hates the most. Usually by now his father would be bent over the stove cooking up somewhat of a decent meal wearing one of his moms' worn out aprons. He'd have a large smile on his face asking the boy if he was hungry before spooning the food onto clean white plates. His laugh would fill up the whole room as he watches his son eye the new meal with judging eyes before digging in. During those times you never heard the ticking of the old clock.

Sighing, Natsu scratches his stomach wondering what he should make himself to eat. There's a bit of bread up on the fridge and if he looks inside the large white refrigerator he might just find enough ingredients to either make a sandwich or some grilled cheese. Something quick seemed to suit the teenager at the moment, especially since he isn't that great of a cook just like his old man. Christabel seemed to be the mastermind in the kitchen, at least that's what his old man used to say.

A creak behind Natsu has him freezing up in his spot. There had been a few minutes already that he hadn't heard anything and Happy was calmly staring at him, his bowl completely clean.

 _Don't turn around._

Just as the words ring inside of his head a hand drops down on his shoulder making the pink haired teen jump. Turning around, obsidian eyes meet dark midnight and scarlet eyes.

"Yo flame brain we got pizza," Are the words of Gray Fullbuster who is currently standing with his hand on Natsu's shaking shoulder.

Natsu has to do everything in his power from screaming like a little girl after being surprised to that extent as Gajeel lifts up a few boxes of pizza and a pack of sodas behind the raven haired teen.

"Don't you guys know how to knock?" Natsu asks while swiping Gray's hand off of his shoulder to which the boy only shrugs while heading into the kitchen towards the cupboards.

"We did knock but you never answered the door," Gajeel says as he moves towards the living room placing the boxes of pizza on the coffee table.

"So you decided to break into my house," Natsu asks as he enters the living room feeling exhausted all over again.

"The door was unlocked so why not," Gray simply says as he returns to the living room with three cups full of ice. He places them down on the coffee table next to the pizzas before moving towards the TV and searching the shelf that is full of DVDs that the Dragneels own.

After a few minutes Gray pulls out a horror movie from the shelf before popping it into the DVD player and sitting back on the floor in front of the TV. Gajeel has already claimed one of the boxes of pizza for himself and is already eating away at a slice while staring at the TV with a full mouth.

This is actually a very common thing at Natsu's house. Some of his friends will actually pop up in the middle of the afternoon and eat dinner with the teenager. Some nights Erza and Cana will barge in with either Italian or Chinese while the guys tend to just splurge on pizza and sometimes hamburgers. Lisanna and her two siblings occasionally drop by and keep him company while the oldest Strauss will cook a meal that can surpass his father's average cooking. Natsu will never admit it but he actually enjoys the company and warm meals provided by his friends, but tonight is a different matter.

"What are you guys doing here," Natsu asks as he takes a seat beside Gajeel who quickly hands him a box of pizza without tearing his eyes away from the screen.

"Bros night," Grays mutters as he opens a soda and pours it into one of the cups he brought before taking a sip on the foam still fizzing at the top of his drink.

"Ice princess was worried about the way you've been acting all day, said he wanted to check up on you," Gajeel states before taking a large bite on his third slice of pizza, "But I was also curious so I tagged along."

"There's nothing wrong with me," Natsu grumbles while nibbling on his slice of meat lovers supreme, "It's just been a bad day."

"I'll say, you punched me right in the face," Gray complains while turning to face the two teenagers sitting idly on the tan couch just across the coffee table.

"That's not really news," Gajeel says while chuckling as a zombie gets its head sliced off, "Classic," he mumbles before taking a sit of his own soda, "But Gray's got a point, you've been acting a bit distant recently. Mind telling us what's wrong."

Shaking his head Natsu looks at the TV cringing as one of the characters wanders down a dark hallway with a flashlight in his hand, "I don't want to talk about it."

No one says anything after that and Natsu has to guess that Erza put them both up to coming to visit him. They're guys, they don't about this stuff. Instead they pick fights and punch each other until their steam has been blown off, but Natsu is too tired to pick a fight and he knows that his two friends will accompany him until he feels better.

"Oh by the way were you guys upstairs?" Natsu asks just as the guy in the closet gets surrounded by a hoard of zombies.

Both teen males shake their heads stating that they had just gotten inside when Gray had startled Natsu in the kitchen, "Why," Gray asks without looking away from the TV.

"No reason," Natsu says just as the man's flashlight flickers off in the movie and a bad feeling sets inside of his stomach.

* * *

 **So this is another filler chapter to see just a bit of Natsu's loneliness and have just a closer view on how close his bond is to his father and to his friends. I wanted him to have a small moment where it shows that he doesn't always fight with his friends and having Gray and Gajeel kind of break into his house is inspired by my own friends who tend to just walk in and taking the remote from me to watch TV and steal my food.**

 **On another note, I know that I took almost a month updating but things have been crazy at home. Having ten people live in a four bedroom house does tend to get painful, but life goes on I guess.**

 **Shout Outs**

 **Great thanks to my Fangtastic Favorites...**

 **\- shamwoohoo52**

 **\- tkitty23**

 **To my Faboolous Followers...**

 **\- shamwoohoo52**

 **\- Cresentgenisi**

 **\- Emastar01**

 **\- WishItWasCanon**

 **\- tkitty23**

 **\- Kazehana23**

 **And to my Spooktacular Reviewers...**

 **\- Splendora Faye = Igneel didn't die he is in a coma while Natsu lives at home alone waiting for his aunt to come down to stay with him until his dad gets better. Lucy will appear soon and we had a small glimpse of her in the past chapter running from my mutation creations.**

 **\- Shamwoohoo52 = That is the question isn't it? Nah she's alive. I love happy endings also and I made Lucy into a ghost/poltergeist/astral body in my last story so keeping her alive seems to be a better path this time. Also, thank you very much I am so happy to hear that you are enjoying my story and as for chapter wise I tend to just write as I go. I can say it might exceed over twenty chapters, but who knows it might be less. I guess we'll both just have to find out.**

 **\- tKitty23 = Hearing that just makes my day a whole lot better! Thank you so much.**

 **Well that's all the shout outs for today.**

 **If you're enjoying my spine-chilling story give me the honor by Following, Favoriting, and Reviewing - remember, reviews are the reminders I need in order to update faster - and if you have any questions or haunting ideas you can also PM me and I'll gladly add it into the story.**

 **Until next time my ghoulies.**


	8. Chapter 7

**Please R &R and I shall see you at the bottom of the page.**

 **POV: Narrator**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, but read if you so dare...**

* * *

Slamming the door behind her, brown eyes look up to find the hallway empty and quiet meaning that morning has finally arrived. The monsters should be somewhere sleeping while she remains wandering the halls in silence until they pop up again. She's tired and wants nothing else but to go to sleep but she's also hungry and if she doesn't start searching now she might not find the kitchen in time before the monsters come out again.

Groaning, she starts making her way down the hallway and to her surprise she finds herself walking into the recognizable dining hall. A long table lined with silverware and decorative vases with fresh blooming flowers. Twelve chairs line around the large table waiting to be filled with lively chattering people, but no one will ever come to sit on such luxurious furniture.

Walking past the mint green wall just inside of the large dining hall, chocolate brown eyes scan the row of pictures lined against the wall. Pictures of faces the girl has come to memorize stare back at her with blank faces or just a small hint of a smile in their eyes. They're all different with some pictures holding women, men, or even children. The girl has come to believe that they too might have once been victims of the house just like she was, but she wouldn't really know since she's yet to meet anyone that wasn't a ghost out to kill her.

Passing by her picture which should stand as the last one on the row, her eyes catch a new picture sitting beside her own. Chocolate meet with dark obsidian which makes her stop in her tracks towards the kitchen. It's strange because her picture is supposed to be the last picture hanging on the wall, but instead a new picture is hanging of a boy with spiky pink hair and mysterious obsidian eyes.

Is this boy going to be the house's newest victim?

"RISE AND SHINE!" a loud voice that could no doubt belong to Cana Alberona yells startling the sleeping boys along with the sound of the front door crashing open.

Early morning sunlight filters into the dark living room where the tired boys do their best to shield their eyes from blinding light. They're each sprawled on a different couch with Gray the only one curled up into a ball under the coffee table as he holds a pillow up trying his best to shield the light and the annoying voice of his childhood friend.

"I can't believe you boys are still sleeping," Erza's authorative voice follows after Cana as the red haired female walks into the room with a disapproving glint in her eyes.

"What time is it," Gajeel asks while searching around for his missing phone.

"Seven in the morning," Cana answers with a bright innocent smile plastered on her demonic face.

"THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!" Gray exclaims while popping his head through the legs of the coffee table to glare at the demons who dare to disturb their slumber, "It's a Saturday and you want us to get up at fricken seven in the morning?!"

Both girls look at each other before nodding with bright beaming smile on their faces. Those girls were going to be the death of them. Any more stress that they can receive from those demons would no doubt be leaving all three boys bald. How were they ever going to make it to graduation?

"How the hell did you even get in here?" Natsu asks while sitting up and squinting at both girls, "I'm pretty sure I locked the door last night after the guys got here."

Cana picks up her hand while twirling a ring of keys around her index finger, "I made a spare key of each of your houses when you all weren't looking."

"WHAT?!"

Gajeel and Natsu immediately get to their feet while Gray tries to nurse his throbbing head after slamming it up on the coffee table over him. All three boys begin to argue about how inappropriate it was that Cana had made spare keys to their homes. If she had keys that allowed her to leisurely walk into just about any one of their friend's houses, judging from all of the keys dangling on her key chain, there could be no doubt that she might even be stealing from them behind their backs.

Natsu, in a panicked frenzy, searches around the small living room hoping that nothing is missing in case Cana might have burglarized his house without him even knowing. Thankfully nothing seems to be missing so far but he has to wonder how often Cana uses her keys and for what purposes she'd even try such a vile act.

"Geez relax, I only ever use the keys for emergencies," the brunette pouts while crossing her arms across her chest.

"Yeah, like waking us up at seven in the morning is an emergency," Natsu hollers as he rubs his tired eyes.

He'd had another nightmare that he'd fought through while the guys were deeply asleep. Unlike usual this nightmare left him completely drained and with little memory as to what had happened. He only remembers it being so dark with not a hint of light to guide him in any direction and the sound of his name being called out through the darkness.

Upon hearing his name Natsu had begun to run as fast as his legs would let him but the faster he pushed himself the farther the voice would sound. It wasn't until he could no longer hear the voice that he finally decided to stop running to try to survey the impossible inky darkness. The only sound was the sound of his heavy breathing as he continued to uselessly search the blackness that weighed heavily around him like a thick curtain.

It wasn't until Natsu heard jittery laughter right beside his ear and the feel of bony hands on his shoulders that he finally woke up. The TV had been left on with only static dancing on the bright screen signaling the end of the third movie the guys had tried to watch. Natsu couldn't even remember what it was about as he searched around the room in case the monster had somehow followed him into the real world. Thankfully he was alone with a snoring Gajeel sprawled across his long couch and a muttering Gray who was curled up under the coffee table.

Trying to shake off the chilling of bony fingers on his shoulders, Natsu got up to grab something to drink from the nearby kitchen. The light of the refrigerator did little to sting his quickly adjusting eyes as he searched around before settling on some milk. Opting to drink right out of the gallon, Natsu had recapped the gallon of milk before closing the fridge to make it back into the living room before stopping in his tracks to stare at a lonely figure standing behind the couch Gajeel was sleeping on.

From what Natsu can see it's a girl just a bit shorter than he is. She's wearing a strange outfit that looks like a green bra with white silk cloth hanging around her waist and around her arms in a strange fashion. A long tattered green skirt with gold trimming hangs to just above her ankles which slightly reveal sandaled feet that look dirtied and bruised.

Navy blue with silver cuffs hug at the girls biceps while thin silver bangles rest just on the girls thin wrists and ankles. Long golden hair is tied into a complicated braid with a few pieces of ribbon woven into the hair as a thin crown with more silk cloth hanging from it circles the girl's head. If I didn't know any better this girl is the very girl from my dream I had not too many nights ago. The braid she is wearing is exactly the same as the one I had gotten a glimpse from before I had woken up. There's no doubt in my mind that this is that very girl, but… how did she get here?

Jingling bracelets catch Natsu's attention as the girl began to move, the glow from the static filled TV shining on the girl as she begins to turn around. What greets Natsu isn't a pleasant sight at all and it leaves him wanting to lose his dinner within seconds because this isn't a girl. No, this can't possibly be a girl and Natsu can't possibly be awake when something this horrifying is threatening his heart to collapse in his chest from utter fear.

Dark blood encrusted holes greet Natsu where warm kind eyes should be situated. Blood seeps out of from the dark pools like bloody tears as the girl moans out in pain and sorrow. She reaches a bruised blood stained hand towards me as her empty eyes somehow beg and plead for me to do… to do… I don't know what they want me to do.

" _I'm scared_ ," she cries desperately.

"Why," I ask completely frozen in my spot between the living room and the stairs that lead up to the second floor.

" _Please, I don't want to be here anymore,"_ she begs with both hands reaching out towards me wanting to grasp me like the dolls from my dreams, but she doesn't ever seem to move any closer towards me.

"Here where! Where are you?!" I urgently continue to ask as she freezes seeming to see something that I can't see for myself.

 _"OH NO! They're coming!"_ she screams franticly, more bloody tears beginning to pour out of her eyes.

"Who is," I ask feeling the deep urge to help this girl even if she is just a dream.

" _I'm so scared, please help me!"_

"How? How am I supposed to help you?"

" _Please, Natsu save me!"_ she finally yells before pointing at something behind me.

Without even thinking I turn around to find a dark figure standing on the top of the stairs seeming to be staring down at me with eyes that I can't make out through the darkness. A dark haunting laugh fills the whole house and the last thing I remember before blacking out is the sound of the frantic girls voice and the sound of a door crashing open with sunlight pouring into the once dark room.

* * *

 **One of the hardest things in college that I do not like what-so-ever are group projects. I have three of them and I'm procrastinating by writing and catching up with my fanfics. probably not a good idea, but what the heck. I'll find some way to help my teammates to finish what we need to... hopefully. Also it's 11:27 where I'm currently at and I'm supposed to be sleeping because I had a long day. Meh, a few extra hours awake won't do a lot of harm... I hope.**

 **Anywho, Lucy's 'Costume' is a mix of the clothing she wore in Cait Shelter at the end of the oracion seis arc along with a few things that she wore in one of the edolas episodes where she's fighting against Byro. I was aiming for a Leia-slave-outfit from the star wars movie but I wanted it to be more Fairy Tail styled so this is what I came up with. I wonder if you all can picture it inside your head?**

 **Shout Outs**

 **Great thanks to my Fangtastic Favorites...**

 **\- nunnermackerkraig**

 **\- NaluNom**

 **To my Faboolous Followers...**

 **\- nunnermackerkraig**

 **\- ThatOneTroubleMaker**

 **\- riskybanana**

 **\- Marsfish**

 **And to my Spooktacular Reviewers...**

 **\- Splendora Faye = No the aunt hasn't shown up. She's currently living in Cait Shelter where she is going to then move in with Natsu to take care of him while his dad is in a coma. Also don't worry about it, I had to re-read everything I wrote down since I had forgotten what I had been writing in the first place.**

 **\- Yuyui Hime = I'm so happy to hear! I hope you liked this chapter as well.**

 **\- iamthewerepire = I am doing well, thank you so much for asking. I hope you are doing well as well and I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed the update.**

 **\- Marsfish = Those are some very good questions my friend, questions that will soon be answered. Also I'm really glad that you're enjoying my story.**

 **Well that's all the shout outs for today.**

 **If you're enjoying my spine-chilling story give me the honor by Following, Favoriting, and Reviewing - remember, reviews are the reminders I need in order to update faster - and if you have any questions or haunting ideas you can also PM me and I'll gladly add it into the story.**

 **Until next time my ghoulies.**


	9. Chapter 8

**Please R &R and I shall see you at the bottom of the page.**

 **POV: Narrator**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, but read if you so dare...**

* * *

Startling blue eyes gaze across the table watching the boy whose own dark obsidian eyes stare off out the nearby window. The boy had been grumbling all morning along with his two friends who all share matching dark bags under their tired eyes. This boy, however, had bags much darker than the other two and it only suggested that he had had a difficult time sleeping last night.

"Your food is getting cold," Lisanna says while leaning forward and propping her elbows on the table and resting her chin on her hands, her own meal only half eaten beside her.

Natsu grumbles something before sighing and staring over at his food consisting of a large stack of pancakes, a few eggs, some sausage, a few pieces of bacon, and a slice of toast. Just the way he always ordered whenever he had breakfast with the youngest Strauss. He was so predictable that all Lisanna had to say was, "The usual for him," after ordering her own moderate meal that never consisted of the same thing more than twice.

Everyone in Café 8 knew Natsu well enough to memorize his breakfast choice because he never seemed to change. Natsu had even admitted once that it was because that was how Igneel had always, since he was a little boy, prepared his early meal. It also tied in to Natsu's mother Christabel who would prepare the meal regularly when she was still alive. Not that Natsu really remembered that time much.

"I'm not really hungry," Natsu sighs before turning to look back out of the window making Lisanna jump in surprise.

Natsu wasn't hungry? _The_ Natsu Dragneel wasn't hungry?!

Impossible!

Several pairs of eyes from the booth behind the pink haired teen meet the startled blue of the younger Strauss. They're all surprised as she looks over at her best friend wondering what could have affected him so much that he doesn't want to eat. The last time Lisanna remembers Natsu skipping out on a meal was the day after Natsu's father was interned at Magnolia's hospital and learned that his father would remain in a coma for some time.

"Natsu, is everything alright?" Lisanna asks after a few minutes of silence which makes the pink haired boy look over to her with a questioning look on his tired face.

He doesn't ask what she means because just looking at her and he knows that he's worrying her again. The feeling of eyes staring at him from behind signals that his friends are also worried and he mentally kicks himself for making them worry about him again. The last thing he needs is trying to explain what he had dreamed about last night. They'll think that Gray's stupid story might have scared him or they'll think that he might even be going crazy, and even if he did want to explain what happened he wouldn't know where to start.

"I'm fine Lis," Natsu says while rubbing a hand down his face, "Just slept really late last night s'all," he says before taking his fork and digging into his meal.

The pancakes are cold and tasted a bit dry in his mouth as he chews the large bite he took. He smiles over at Lisanna who quickly perks up and digs into her own oatmeal while bouncing in her seat like a little girl. For a moment it feels like when they were younger and they would come after school with Lisanna's older brother Elfman to eat a burger with a strawberry milkshake for him and a vanilla milkshake for her. Those days were great because Natsu didn't have to worry about going home to an empty house and Lisanna wouldn't be flirting with him as much as she does now. They were just friends enjoying their youth together and even though the case now hasn't changed all that much there are things that have greatly transformed in the years since those days.

"Alright, back to our order of business," Cana states as she stands up in the booth behind Natsu, "We'll start off by enjoying the morning together to hunt down for costumes for any of those who haven't purchased their costumes and then we can hang out at Gajeel's place to watch horror movies."

"Hey! Why my place?!" the tall male complains almost choking on his food.

"Because I said so that's why," Cana says while quickly ignoring his complaints, "At five we'll all go back home to change into our costumes and at six we'll paint this town red!"

Most of the girls cheer enjoying that idea while the three sleep-deprived-males only groan in defeat. They should have known that they'd be dragged around town doing pointless things and spending money on females that they sometimes unwillingly call friends. This is why Jellal are the only couple in the group with the other three males reluctant to even think about dating any other female, much less a female that came from their inner group.

While the group chattered happily behind him, Natsu just continued to eat his breakfast with slow unenthusiastic movements. Truthfully he didn't mind spending the whole day with his friends. He honestly was in no hurry to return home to where his nightmares are far more rampant and realistic. The dream from last night still clings to him like a bad smell with every detail still vibrant in his exhausted mind.

He just really wants it all to end already.

Not too long after the bills were paid and the group of energetic teens quickly made their way down the streets of Magnolia towards the shopping district. The buildings were all decorated with the usual Halloween decorations like fake spider webs and rubber spiders hanging off of the doors and windows. A few glass stickers even show the usual green with her pointy nose and hat as she flies on her broomstick past a full moon. A few store clerks even sport their own costumes ready for tonight's festival down at the central park.

Eyeing the corny decorations from each store that passes, Natsu walks behind the chattering group with his hands stacked behind his head as he somewhat listens to the conversation in front of him. They're all deciding whether they should do a group theme or simply dress up on their own or in pairs. Natsu even chuckles when he hears Erza suggest that she dress up as a knight while Jellal dresses up as a princes. A notion that the blue haired male quickly shoots down much to the red head's disappointment.

"We should dress up in something similar like when we were kids, what do you think Natsu?" Lisanna asks excitedly while clinging onto the teen whose mind is still somewhat elsewhere at the moment, "We can dress up like cavemen or I can be a witch while you can be a wizard," The silver-haired girl goes on while tugging her friend along with her.

"I don't know, I already dressed up as those things before," Natsu mutters while lightly releasing her hold on his arm. He easily dodges the look of disappointment on Lisanna's face as he continues to scan the store's windows for anything that will catch his eye.

The group of teenagers pass by many stores and even enter a few while checking out costumes to see if anything catches their interest. Cana even discovers an inflatable Tyrannosaurus Rex costume that's been trending on the internet for quite a while. Everyone gets a kick watching the usually drunk teen walking around and making silly poses while sporting the inflatable suit. Even the manager of the store laughs when the brunette trips on a fallen skeleton prop which sends her tumbling down and making it a bit hard to stand up.

Natsu chuckles as he watches the others help Cana stand while Erza apologizes for her reckless friend who is still laughing within the suit, "I'll take it," she cheers while lifting the arm of the T-Rex in a comical manner.

"Are you sure?" Levy, ever the voice of reason, asks while the cashier rings up her witch costume, "Won't you get cold in that suit, or even hot?"

"Levy's right, you should try looking at something else. Knowing you you'll come up with a way to total that costume within seconds."

If the group could see the brunettes face they know she'd be pouting at their words. Her arms crossed across the dinosaur's large chest can only confirm their notion.

Cana was such a child sometimes.

Looking back at the costumes wrapped up inside plastic bags, Obsidian eyes scan the pictures of the models sporting the costumes being sold. Natsu finds the usual Dracula costume with matching countess costume right next to it, but he doesn't feel all that blood-sucky this year. A werewolf costume catches his eye, but the rubber mask looks stuffy and constricting, and even though he can always paint his face he's not really in the mood to go through all of that trouble.

Honestly he doesn't really want to go out anymore. The thought of dressing up in a silly overpriced costume this year just doesn't hold the appeal that it had only a week ago. Now all Natsu really wants is to crawl into a corner and fall into a deep slumber. Even then, however, he doesn't want to go back to his empty house and he's afraid that if he falls asleep his nightmares will just get worse.

Sighing, Natsu tries to liven up his thoughts by thinking of all of the candy he might be able to get. If one thing could liven up Natsu's mood it would be sweets. Especially sweets that you don't have to pay or do much work for. Sure, trick-or-treating was for kids, but who said anything about teenagers not being able to enjoy themselves once in a while?

Feeling a new sense of anticipation, Natsu takes the first costume that catches his eye, making sure that it's in his size, and quickly goes to pay for it at the cash register. Not once does the pink-haired boy notice the dark presence watching over him from the shadows of the spooky store.

* * *

 **It's almost been a month... I know, but alas I have finally updated a new chapter! Finals are coming up which is why I've taken my time in updating, and there's also a tiny writer's block I had there for a while. I'm not sure when I'll update again, but hopefully it will be soon, so please be patient my wonderful readers.**

 **Shout Outs**

 **Great thanks to my Fangtastic Favorites...**

 **\- Kazehana23**

 **\- KtKatana**

 **To my Faboolous Followers...**

 **\- Britishviking**

 **\- KtKatana**

 **And to my Spooktacular Reviewers...**

 **\- tkitty23 = Lucy does not know that she's been helping Natsu in his dreams. She actually hasn't seen Natsu at all until she saw the picture of him in the last chapter... or was it the previous chapter?... one of those chapters.**

 **\- Yuyui Hime = I'm really glad you liked it! And yes group projects are a killer, but they need to be completed one way or another. Thankfully I'm done with mine.**

 **\- Splendora Faye = I know, my updating time gets worse and worse. Yes, I'm surviving college somehow, I'm only neck deep in stress, but we'll see what my finals bring me. Also, me writing in Natsu's POV was an accident. I hadn't noticed that I wrote in his point of view instead of the Narrator's POV until you pointed it out. I'm still somewhat new to the whole third person POV so there's bound to be some mistakes. Sorry about that though.**

 **Well that's all the shout outs for today.**

 **If you're enjoying my spine-chilling story give me the honor of Following, Favoriting, and Reviewing - remember, reviews are the reminders I need in order to update faster - and if you have any questions or haunting ideas you can also PM me and I'll gladly add it into the story.**

 **Until next time my ghoulies.**


	10. Chapter 9

**HAPPY OCTOBER! Please R &R and I shall see you at the bottom of the page!**

 **POV: Narrator**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail**

* * *

Natsu Dragneel is a fairly patient male.

Years of spending hours upon hours at retail stores with Lisanna and her older sister have helped strengthen his unpredictable patience. It has also given him a deep understanding on how to wait for long periods of time on women who liked to take their time shopping. Of course Natsu wasn't always alone during these dreadful trips as he would sometimes be accompanied by the girl's only brother Elfman. Together the boys would wait out the longest hours of their lives by sitting by dressing rooms or outside of stores that they'd refuse to enter.

It was a hell that Natsu realized he would never get away from.

"How long have they been in there?" Gray asks from across the couch he and Gajeel are currently sitting on.

Without looking away from the television, Gajeel grunts, "Two hours," before taking a swing at his soda, his piercing eyes still glued to the black and white movie currently playing on his television.

After shopping for costumes and other things all morning, all the teenagers had split up for an hour each going to their own homes before meeting up at the small Redfox house at the end of their street. All the males had arrived a few minutes before they had originally planned to meet, each dressed in their simple costumes.

They all didn't wait too long before all the girls barged in carrying hulking bags filled with their costumes, makeup, and hair accessories. Without even asking, the girls overtook the furious male's room and restroom to finish getting ready. They even took Gajeel's adopted sister Juvia with them without giving the poor girl any chance to deny in her participation with tonight's events.

Now all the boys could do was play the waiting game against their will.

"They're still not out?" a tall burly male asks emerging from the kitchen wearing a dark green jumpsuit that's covered in grease, a beer grasped in the man's equally greasy gloved hands. His steely blue eyes are filled with mirth as he scans the room filled with exasperated teenage boys. He receives a unison "no" from all of the males causing him to laugh.

"Wait till you all start dating," Jellal sighs as he throws his head back to lean it on the couch he's sitting on earning sympathetic looks from the other males.

"No boy, wait till you all get married," and seeing the horror struck faces of the teenage boys has him laughing hard enough to make the older Redfox's sides hurt, "Well good luck tonight boys, try not to get into too much trouble," he says before smacking the back of Gajeel's head with his gloved hand, "And you take care of your sister."

Gajeel rubs the back of his head while glaring at his father who disappears out the front door clearly intent on getting back to work at the car shop he owns not too far away from here. "Damn old man," Gajeel mutters before returning his eyes back to the movie.

Natsu, who is sprawled on the ground in front of the television, scratches his bare shoulder looking bored and sleep deprived. He covers his head with the hood of his cloak that encompasses his whole body including his feet while burying his head in the pillow he took from one of the nearby seats. He can feel himself drift off slowly to sleep as he allows the heaviness from his body to take him under.

 _It's almost time!_

Jolting from the sound of the scratchy voice, Natsu looks up in time to find the girls rushing down the stairs from the second floor that they all overtook. Each one runs around pulling on shoes or stuffing their hair with more bobby pins in a flurry of glitter and fluttering clothing. They all crowd around the only large mirror in the Redfox house while doing last minute touch ups and fitting their headpieces on their voluminous hair.

The boys keep their eyes on the television screen as the girls continue to finish getting ready. Eventually the boys are joined by a sullen Juvia who is now dressed in a periwinkle blue princess dress with a small tiara sitting atop her short cornflower blue hair.

"I told you not to fight them," Gajeel grunts while eyeing the excessive makeup that has been applied on the fair skinned girl.

"She looks fine," Gray says while eyeing the blushing girl sitting between him and Gajeel, "The look suits you." Steam seems to burst out of the bluenette's ears as her face is encompassed in a burning red blush that she tries to hide with her hands.

"Natsu!" said boy looks up from where he has his head still buried in his pillow to find Lisanna standing in front of him dressed in a scanty looking costume, "What do you think?" she asks while giving a twirl and swishing around the furry tail attached to her overly short shorts.

Squinting his eyes, Natsu can tell that she's trying to catch his attention with the costume. Unfortunately, he has to try everything in his power to keep from cringing, "What are you supposed to be?" he asks instead while trying to stand up.

Drooping her shoulders in defeat, Lisanna crosses her arms across her chest frowning, "I'm a cat," she sighs before walking away towards the girls.

Truthfully Natsu had realized what she was due to the cat ears sitting atop her head, but he just couldn't help saying otherwise. He could have amused her by at least trying to guess, but due to his lack of sleep he really isn't in the mood to be lifting the spirits of others. Natsu honestly only wanted for this day to end so that he could go back home and sleep until Thanksgiving arrived.

"Are you guys ready?" he asks towards the girls who seem as ready as they'll ever be.

"Hell yeah!" Cana roars, the jingling bracelets hanging off of her arms and legs clinking against each other. She throws her arms around a startled Lisanna and drags a disgruntled Natsu alongside her, "Come on love-birds, let's get moving," she says while dragging them alongside her out the door.

Lisanna's cheeks immediately inflame as she tries to tell Cana that it isn't like that. The brunette just laughs at the silver-haired girl's poor attempt to discourage her friend in such thoughts, but her stuttering does nothing to help her. All the while Natsu just ducks his head covering his eyes with the top of his dark hood while his ever present white scarf covers his face like a mask.

Tonight was going to be another long uncomfortable night.

* * *

 **So... It's been five months since I last updated and a whole year since I started writing this story. I have been bad for not updating and finishing this story at the time I had planned, but let's hope that this time is different. But fear not my ghoulies, even if it takes me long I will finish this story!**

 **Please continue to stick with me and lets make this October a great one!**

 **Well that's all for today.**

 **If you're enjoying my spine-chilling story give me the honor of Following, Favoriting, and Reviewing - remember, reviews are the reminders I need to update faster - and if you have any questions or haunting ideas you can also PM me and I'll gladly add it into the story.**

 **Until next time my ghoulies.**


	11. Chapter 10

**Two chapters in one day! Let's try to keep up this good streak! Please R &R and I shall see you at the bottom of the page.**

 **POV: Narrator**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail**

* * *

The rustling of the leaves overhead can barely be heard due to the loud chatter of the overzealous teenagers. They make their way sluggishly down a long empty street with overgrown weeds on the side of the road and fallen leaves covering the long abandoned road. It had been quite a while since this road had seen any guests, especially teenagers who were no doubt looking for some trouble.

"You guysh are sho shlow," Cana, already inebriated from the liquor she's been drinking all night, slurs from way up front of the group next to an annoyed Gajeel and Levy who try to keep the silly girl from falling over, "Hurry up * _hic_ * b'fore you're left behind."

"We're not even to the mansion yet and I'm already starting to freak out," Levy says loud enough for those near her to hear, her worried brown eyes scanning their surroundings warily, "What if we get in trouble."

"Don't worry shrimp," Gajeel's booming voice assures the short female, "If the fuzz shows up I'll make sure you don't get caught. I'm a master at getting out of a sticky situation."

"Geeze thanks, that makes me feel so much better," the bluenette says sarcastically while rolling her eyes, although she didn't doubt the taller male's abilities in avoiding the cops. She has heard his many ludicrous tales which has involved many police chasing him down with him eventually slipping free. He has even assured her that if she were to get into any sort of trouble he'd be ready to help within a heartbeat, a notion that honestly makes the girl's heart flutter.

"Don't worry Levy, we said we wouldn't go past the gate, which means we won't be breaking any law," Erza assures while making a select few grumble under their breath.

Natsu huffs from near the back of the group with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his costume while his dark cloak nearly conceals him within the eerie darkness. A small backpack of candies hits his back lightly with every step he takes and he can't wait to get home so that he can stuff his face. He would have left the group hours ago, but seeing as going to the Phantom Lord Mansion was his idea he didn't think it wise to just ditch. Plus, there was the fact that he felt a strange pull towards the ominous building that he's only seen once in his life when he was a small boy.

"Look, we're almost there," Jellal says from near the front as a tall crumbling brick wall with wrought iron gates comes into view just a few meters away.

Near the rusting gate, Natsu can't help but spot a lone dark figure staring through the bars of the old gate towards what he presumes is the direction of the famous mansion. From the build of the person and the little light cast by the ever-present moon he can guess that the mysterious figure is a male clad in dark skinny jeans and a studded leather jacket.

A hand covered in several pieces of silver rings holds the gate tightly with the male's face still facing away from the oncoming group. He doesn't seem to pay much attention to the approaching group as Natsu's sensitive ears hear the man whisper, "Oh how the sun misses thy golden beauty unreachable star," before the male ducks his head as he releases his hold on the gate as he lifts the collar of his jacket and quickly turns to leave.

The group watches the male as he makes his way towards them without looking up to acknowledge them. Now that the male's face can be seen Natsu notices how much more goth-like he appears with black hair covering the crown of the male's head and white longer hair on the bottom. Dark eyeliner and lipstick cover the boy's pale face giving him a dark look.

Everyone watches the silent man slowly walk by, each wondering in unison on who he could be and what he had been doing here. They all immediately look away when said man finally looks up at them except for Natsu who watches the male with unwavering interest.

The male's burning red eyes glower at Natsu almost as if he's challenging the pink-haired teen, but for once Natsu only stares back. It doesn't have to do with the fact that he didn't want to pick a fight, hell, Natsu Dragneel was always ready for a fight. It also didn't have to do with the fact that if he did something stupid a certain red head would have his head mounted on a wall. No, it had to do with the fact that even though this man's eyes were challenging, they also looked somewhat… lost.

Natsu knew that look because it was the same look he would see every day when he'd look in a mirror. It's the look only a man who has lost something extremely precious to the m could ever recognize. Natsu had somewhat lost his father and he can only imagine what this man could have lost to make him look so distraught.

Without a word, the silent male looks away before trudging down the way the others had come. All the while Natsu watching him wondering what that strange man's story could have been and why he had been standing by the most abandoned place in all of Magnolia.

"If you don't hurry you're going to be left behind," the teen hears someone call behind him who he quickly recognizes to be the voice of his annoying friend Gray.

"Sorry," he mutters before finally looking away from the dark figure to watch his friends make their way towards the gate the previous male had been standing in front of only moments before.

Everyone crowds around the rusting gate with each person trying to get a glimpse at the old mansion that lies atop the hill at the end of creepy winding road beyond the gate. Ivy as thick as rope winds its way through the loops of the gate sealing the whole thing shut making it impossible to open the entrance much the teenager's disappointment.

Looking through the openings in the gate the land before them is desolate and dead with dried up weeds and leaves that cover the ground. The looming trees on both sides of the long driveway hang over the road as if ready to snatch up any trespassers. The sight of the land leaves chills running up and down the spines of the onlookers who jump at the sounds of a hooting owl nearby. Even the clatter of a drifting can is a frightening sound with an eerie scene as this one.

The mansion atop the hill is also an unnerving sight to behold, even from the far distance that the teenagers are at as well as the limited visibility they are allowed due to the rotting trees and rusted gate. The air around them is equally discomforting as if it were telling the adolescents to turn from whence they came from. A notion a few even start to want to follow.

"This place is creeping me out," Lisanna whimpers as she hugs her arms almost as if she were cold, "This isn't as fun as I thought it would be," she admits while Natsu unconsciously wraps and arm around her to make her feel secure like he used to when they were little. Lisanna was a brave girl who wasn't afraid to face any challenge, but even she had limitations that sometimes involved the hot-headed male to keep her from breaking down.

"There, we saw the mansion. Now we can all go home," Levy says while tearing herself away from the gate.

"I agree with Lis. This isn't as fun as I thought it would be," Erza says while turning to leave looking disappointed.

Gajeel catches the eye of the red-head before she gets too far as his familiar mischievous smirk stretches across his tan face, "I know what can make this trip more interesting," he says and without another word he starts to the climb over the side of the brick wall while using the ivy as leverage to get him over the edge.

"Now that's what I'm talking about," Cana cheers as she quickly follows behind the tall male climbing much faster over the crumbling wall and disappearing on the other side as well.

"GAJEEL! CANA!" Levy screeches in a low voice while trying to look through the gate and find the two troublemakers on the other side, "Erza," Levy turns to look at the red-head who seems to be calculating something within her head. She urges the woman with her eyes to get those two knuckleheads back before they get into trouble, but the female seems to be having an inner debate.

"Not again," Juvia, who has mostly been quiet throughout the entire night, sighs as she also makes her way towards the wall and starts to climb it as well.

"Where are you going," Gray asks the bluenette just as she reaches the top of the wall and straddles the wall and looks down at the curious male.

"If Juvia doesn't get her brother back her father will kill Gajeel for doing something stupid and kill Juvia for not stopping him," and with that she swings her leg over the ledge before climbing down the other side.

Without a word Gray quickly follows suit leaving behind a panicking Levy, a dumbfounded Jellal, a worried Lisanna, an indifferent Natsu, and a still calculating Erza behind. Erza finally places her hands on her hips stating that, "Going to check out the mansion and coming back quickly wouldn't be all too dangerous," much to Levy's and Lisanna's dismay.

Hearing the OK from the scariest of the bunch, Natsu begins to make his way towards the wall before being stopped by Lisanna who grabs onto his arm with incredible strength, "Natsu let's go home," she pleads, her sapphire eyes glistening with apprehension and fear.

"Come one Lis it'll be fun," he says in a playful manner while trying to tug her along, but she doesn't budge.

"Natsu please, I have a really bad feeling about this. What if something goes wrong?"

Now normally Natsu would listen to Lisanna's gut feelings because throughout the years he's come to learn that most of her gut feelings tend to be true. She's always been right about good and bad situations and has even saved him and Elfman from a few close calls, but this time he doesn't want to listen to her.

It doesn't have to do with the fact that he's trying to keep her from liking him more than she already does or that he's trying to distance himself from her. As much as Natsu doesn't return Lisanna's feelings he still doesn't want to lose her as a friend. She's been in his life forever and he doesn't want that to change. Deep inside of him he wants to listen to her and take her to her house so that she doesn't worry, but another part of him is itching to cross that wall. It's as if some unknown force _wants_ him to cross the wall and walk towards the mansion, and unfortunately he wants to follow that pull.

"Don't be silly Lis," Natsu laughs as he pulls his hand out of Lisanna's slackening grip, "Nothing is going to happen," he says while ruffling her hair before climbing the wall to follow his friends.

Lisanna's heart sinks as she watches the boy she loves climb over the dirty old wall and disappears on the other side along with Erza, Jellal, and an unwilling Levy. Lisanna then prays for her uneasiness to be wrong just this once.

* * *

 **So I know these chapters are a bit shorter than usual, but I promise that they'll get longer soon.**

 **Tell me what you think. Are you all excited to enter the mansion? I know I am! I've waited a whole year for this moment to come, and I know it's my own fault for the long wait, but that's beside the point because we're finally entering the dark realm.**

 **Well that's all for today.**

 **If you're enjoying my spine-chilling story give me the honor of Following, Favoriting, and Reviewing - remember, reviews are the reminders I need to update faster - and if you have any questions or haunting ideas you can also PM me and I'll gladly add it into the story.**

 **Until next time my ghoulies.**


	12. Chapter 11

**Please R &R and I shall see you at the bottom of the page.**

 **POV: Narrator**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, but read if you so dare...**

* * *

The other side of the gate is like a whole other world. A world much darker and eerie than the bright hopeful world that stood only a wall jump away. The air within the Phantom Lord grounds seemed colder, the trees seemed almost alive, and the wind felt stronger as if trying to push the adolescents back to their world. It was an adventure that the group didn't want to leave from just yet.

"Come on Lis," Natsu calls towards the shivering silver-haired female who looks down at him from the top of the wall skeptically. She still doesn't want to continue on to the other side, but she feels that if she doesn't follow her reckless friend something bad might happen.

Climbing down the rest of the wall, she stands by the pink haired male eyeing the trees that seem to watch her while beckoning her with their mangled branches. Not too far behind them Levy grumbles about Gajeel being an idiot and that this was a bad idea. She fumes even more when Natsu gets away from Lisanna's hold again to follow the slow moving group that makes their way up the long dirt driveway.

Above their heads the mangled tree branches creak as the wind blows through them while also casting shadows on the uneven ground below. Holes in the trees seem as if dark eyes watch their progress through the path and grotesque mouths stretched in silent screams that seem to say for them to turn and run. Even then the group of teenagers make their way up the path ignoring the silent warnings, their own eyes looking eagerly at what waits at the end of the long road.

"Creepy," Jellal says while eyeing one of the trees that looks to be reaching out towards nothing in particular, "How long do you think it's been since these trees have been dead?" he asks Erza who plucks a dry leaf from one of the overhead branches to watch it crumple to dust in her hand.

"Probably many years," she says while already moving forward with the group that huddles close to Gajeel who seems to be the only one really enjoying this excursion.

"Any creepier legends you want to say about this place," Gajeel asks Gray who looks around with a bored expression.

The raven-haired male thinks for a moment wondering what else he has heard about the old mansion. All he's heard is what everyone around town already knows. It's abandoned, it's old, no one ever visits it, no one is _supposed_ to visit it, and the rumor that a girl went missing in their at some point, but that last one has always just been a story to scare children off, "Supposedly the mansion is haunted by the vengeful ghost of Jose Porla," Gray finally says while scratching his head trying to remember what else he knew, "Apparently he was killed in his sleep many years back by a robber and now wanders aimlessly in his home searching for his revenge."

"I heard he was hanged," Cana interjects.

"Wasn't he burned?"

"I heard a rumor that said he was poisoned."

"My dad told me that one of his servants was the one that killed him."

"You're wrong, haven't I already told you that it was a robber that killed him?"

"Just because you're the one who is always talking about the place doesn't mean that you're a Phantom Lord expert!"

Suddenly everyone is arguing with one another filling the silence with bickering that only seems to increase the closer they get to the mansion. Each person is ready to start a fight when the only silent female in the group finally speaks up in a tone that leaves all the other teenagers shivering.

"Those are none of the ways Jose Porla was killed," Juvia says, her voice carrying through the cold wind. All eyes look at her distant ones that only look forward as she continues to walk in a trance-like state.

"How did he die then?" Gajeel asks as he watches his sister with a curious gaze.

He's aware of the vast knowledge that his sister holds towards the last person ever to live within the Phantom Lord manor. Jose Porla was actually the owner and founder of the orphanage that Juvia had grown up in before being adopted into the Redfox home. The orphanage had once stood near the manor before it was moved closer to the town a year before Juvia was adopted. She had often talked about how the manor could be viewed through the window of her room and how sometimes at night you could see lights coming through several windows of the old mansion. Even then she hardly ever talked much about the place always saying that speaking of the manor or Jose gave her the creeps.

"No one knows," she says before stopping and looking back at the group outside of the canopy of the trees, her figure covered underneath the glow of the moon making her look ominous as she says, "His body was never found," before continuing her walk up the path.

Shivers run up and down the spines of all the teenagers as they quicken their pace to catch up with the bluenette who now stands before the mansion. Her hands look up as if searching the windows while everyone else walks around the front decaying porch.

The large mansion looms over the group watching them with a patience they didn't know an old building could possess. Grime encrusted windows show little to nothing that lies within the house and the main front door is closed tightly seeming almost sealed. Ivy and moss crawl all along the exterior of the building while also snaking their way in through cracks to grow further within the mansion.

Walking up towards the withering building, Gray makes his way up the broken stone steps and eyes the aging wood of the large front door. Natsu walks up next to him and tugging at a thick vine that crawls up along the wall near the door. The rest of the group looks around the front admiring the old architectural work or looking around to see if they find anything interesting.

After a while Gray pushes the door which surprisingly opens with a creaking ease that unsettles both boys, "Don't go too far into the house," Erza's voice commands from where she's checking out the nearby broken head of what once used to be an elaborate marble fountain, "The wooden floors may give out on you and you can both break your necks."

"Sheesh, she's not even worried about the house kidnapping us," Gray laughs while testing the floor just within the foyer, "But she's probably right, we shouldn't go in there."

"Scared ice princess?" Natsu asks, eyeing the boy from the corner of his eye.

"AS IF!" Gray fumes, "I was the one who suggested we come here after all."

"WHAT?! Did you lose a screw you pervert? I was the one who suggested we come here!" Natsu growls while pushing the other male almost knocking him down the stairs.

"Yeah?! Well no wonder this trip turned out to be boring!" Gray shoves back angering the other boy further.

"YOU WANNA FIGHT?!"

"AS IF YOU'D WIN!"

"Will you guys stop!" Lisanna cries while trying to break the two knuckleheads apart to no avail. The others just roll their eyes as they continue to look around knowing that a fight between those two was inevitable.

Grabbing Gray from behind, Gajeel tries to hold on to the raven-haired male to keep from punching the other fuming teenager. Lisanna grabs onto Natsu, but comparing their difference in strength she has a hard time holding on and keeping Natsu out of the oncoming fight.

"ICE PRICK!"

"MORON!"

"PERVERT!"

"COWARD!"

"I am not a coward," Natsu yells, an offended angry look covering his face.

"Oh yeah? Then prove it," Gray taunts not really realizing the implications his words will lead to until he watches Natsu break free from Lisanna's hold and storms through the old open doorway into the mansion's foyer.

"Natsu you idiot, what the hell do you think you're doing," Erza shrieks while stomping up the stairs towards where the pink haired idiot storms into the abandoned building before turning and looks back at his friends who stare at him from the doorway.

"Get your ass back over here this instant moron!" Gray shouts, all heat from his argument with Natsu gone the second Natsu stepped through the threshold.

Natsu laughs as he places his hands on his hips while throwing his head back looking as if he were the victor, "Look who is scared now," he cackles as he watches his friends eye the dark interior with wary eyes, "Come on guys there's nothing to be afraid about," he insists as he watches every single one of his friends lose face as their expression quickly turn from delight to fear. Even Gajeel hangs back holding Levy's arm to keep the smaller woman from getting any closer to the entrance.

"Natsu you've proven your valor, now can we please go home," Lisanna pleads as she makes to step into the house after her friend not noticing that Natsu has stopped gloating and is standing rigid still.

"Alright, let's go," he says before the short haired girl can even take a step inside as he walks forward causing everyone to heave a sigh of relief, but why do they do so? None of them honestly know, "Sorry for making you worry Lis," Natsu says once he gets to the doorway feeling his head throb for some reason. He honestly doesn't know what came over him, just that he had the biggest urge to start a fight and Gray had been the closest one to start it with.

Lisanna smiles and takes his hand in both of hers while looking for a way to cheer him up, "It's ok, the good thing of all of this is that everyone was able to somewhat enjoy themselves," she beams while trying to cover up the obvious lie.

Even now as she holds his hand Natsu can tell that she's more than anxious in getting out of here from the way her hands lightly tug him to get out of the house fully. He feels bad for dragging her here as well as suggesting to come here in the first place. It wasn't as fun as he'd expected it might have been, but it's an abandoned house with simple ghost stories to scare kids away. What else had he expected to find here? He doesn't even know why he's disappointed in the outcome of this small adventure.

"Let's go home," he whispers before taking a step to leave but freezes in his spot when Lisanna turns to leave while still holding his hand.

He quickly shakes off her hand surprising her with his brute force and when she turns around she doesn't expect him to look so scared. The others are near to entering back through the pathway of trees not seeming to notice the pinkette's hesitation at the doorway. Lisanna watches Natsu as he holds onto the threshold of the door with a tight grip as one foot dangles over the air just about to step foot on the porch while his other foot is hidden within the darkness of the mansion. It looks as if his foot got caught by something… or someone.

"Natsu what's wrong," Lisanna asks, her voice loud enough for the others to turn around to witness their friend struggling at the doorway.

"Come on Natsu, jokes over. We're going home already," Cana huffs as she watches the prankster continue to try to hold himself in place while pretending to struggle against something they can't see.

"Yeah man, this joke has gotten old real quick," Gajeel grunts while continuing to walk away, clearly not interested any longer in spending another second on the abandoned grounds.

"Lis," Natsu grunts as he tries with all his might to free his foot that has gotten caught on something he can't see and is afraid to turn back to check what it is. His blood runs cold when he hears familiar laughter, the kind of laughter that always resonates within his nightmares. The laughter that the creepy dolls make when he's being chased down hallways.

 _We've got you now!_

Looking up at Lisanna who reaches out to him, Natsu releases his hold on the threshold and falls to the ground hitting his chin on the floorboards beneath him. He hears Lisanna and the others scream once before he's dragged inside the house with the door cutting off any light and any sound. That's the last thing Natsu remembers before blacking out completely.

* * *

 **So after a whole year we are FINALLY entering the haunted mansion. It's taken me time but I finally made it this far, so let's keep going further and discover the secrets that lie within...**

 **Shout Outs**

 **Great thanks to my Fangtastic Favorite...**

 **\- 31**

 **To my Faboolous Follower...**

 **\- 31**

 **And to my Spooktacular Reviewers...**

 **\- Kauia = Glad to see you like my story! Thank you for being supportive and for sticking with this story! Much love 3**

 **\- 104688 = Thanks for correcting me on that. I would have never known that I had repeated the chapter if you hadn't told me. If you hadn't noticed yet I already fixed my mistake and hopefully you enjoyed my recent chapters.**

 **Well that's all the shout outs for today.**

 **If you're enjoying my spine-chilling story so far please give me the honor of Following, Favoriting, and Reviewing - remember, reviews are the reminders I need to update faster - and if you have any questions or haunting ideas you can also PM me and I'll gladly add it into the story.**

 **Until next time my ghoulies!**


	13. Chapter 12

**It's my birthday so that means update! Please R &R and I shall see you at the bottom of the page**

 **POV: Narrator**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, but read on if you so dare...**

* * *

It's dark.

That's the first thing that crosses through Natsu's head when he wakes up. He can't quite remember what had happened to him. The last thing he does remember is checking out the Phantom Lord mansion with his friends before…

GCringing at the pain that radiates from his chin, Natsu quickly remembers the events that transpired before he blacked out. He had been about to leave the mansion and just as he was about to step out through the front doorway something had grabbed his foot preventing him from leaving. He had tried with all of his strength to keep from being dragged into the darkness, but without even thinking he had let go of the threshold allowing himself to be dragged against his will.

He purposefully let go, and he doesn't know why.

Shaking his head, Natsu tries to look around and make sense on where he's at but it's too dark that he can't see a thing. Getting on his hands and knees he starts to search the ground for anything that he might find to help him find a wall. If he finds a wall he's bound to find a light switch.

Natsu doesn't search for long before he realizes that he still has his phone in his pocket. Mentally slapping himself, he digs into the pocket of his backpack that is hidden under his cloak and pulls out a flashlight. Turning on the light, a bright beam of yellow half blinds the teen as he cries out in pain not realizing he had the flashlight pointed in his direction. For a moment he's glad that he's alone lest one of his friends were to tease him for being an idiot… again.

Pointing a light within the room, Natsu realizes that it's completely empty. Not a single piece of furniture fills the circular room. The room is big enough that if Natsu were to point his flashlight facing the wall opposite from him the light doesn't quite touch the other wall. This slightly unease's him, especially since the walls are covered in long white drapes that pool on the floor.

A creaking makes Natsu jump as he swings his flashlight around trying to find the source of the noise, but he's only met with the sight of the white drapes. He points the flashlight up but there doesn't seem to be a roof. At least not low enough for the flashlight to reach.

Looking back down he notices that one of the drapes are slightly swaying as if a slight breeze were blowing against it. He checks around to see if any of the other drapes are also moving, but they're not. Turning back to the fluttering drape, Natsu slowly inches towards it before taking the silky cloth in his hand and pulls it back to reveal a hidden door.

Beyond the door it's pitch black and the little light that the flashlight produces shows that it's a hallway that leads towards another dark door. Staring at the empty hallway, Natsu doesn't know whether to continue on and leave the room or just stay put. Maybe if he stayed in one place someone would come and look for him and maybe even find him, but the rational part of his brain – the part he rarely listens to – tells him that no one is coming. Deep down the child in Natsu wants to wait, but Natsu isn't a child anymore and if he wants to find a way out he has to start searching. This means he has to walk down the dark hallway towards the door that may just be another trap.

Taking a deep breath, Natsu walks through the doorway and takes a few steps before he hears the door slap behind him. Turning around in a flash, Natsu's flashlight scans the area but there's nothing there. Not even the door he had passed through is where it had been only seconds ago. Instead a blank brick wall cuts off any means for Natsu ever going back to the empty room. This meant that there really was no turning back and all he could really do was just keep going further.

Reaching the only dark door in the small hallway, Natsu reaches for the cool black doorknob and pauses as a chill runs down his spine. He has a really bad feeling in his stomach and his heart his hammering at a thousand miles a second. His ears are ringing and his vision is swimming in dizzying circles. He feels like he's going to be sick and that's that he hasn't even had a single piece of candy that still resides in the bag that presses against his back.

"Stop being such a damn wuss," he berates himself under his breath, and with newfound determination turns the black doorknob to be greeted with another dark hallway, only this hallway is different. It's different in the sense that he's been in it before in his dreams.

Closing the dark door behind him, he looks right and left trying to decide which way he should start walking. An eenie -meenie-miney-moe has him choosing to go right and he quickly starts his walk down the long hallway while taking in the sight of mirrors and discolored portraits of what once used to be beautiful landscapes. Broken mirrors also line the walls with small tables sitting underneath them which are decorated in expensive looking vases filled with dead flowers. Cobwebs and a thick layer of dust also sits on top of everything as well as floating through the air where the light of the flashlight hits. It makes Natsu's sensitive nose itch as he continues to slowly make his way down the hall.

"I wonder how long I've been walking," he eventually asks as he runs his finger over one of the tables he passes, the dust clinging to his finger and turning the tip of it grey, "This is all probably just a dream," he mutters while wiping away the grimy dust on his cloak, "I'll probably wake up any second now with Gray punching me in the face or Erza yelling at me from outside my house," he chuckles, but it's halfhearted and it makes his chest ache, "Lis might even stop by with Mira and Elfman for breakfast. I should also probably feed Happy before he takes his revenge on me like last time." Looking into the mirror in front of him, he smiles seeming to try to cheer himself up to no avail, "I need to wake up soon."

Usually in his dreams he'd wake up at this point if he wasn't being chased, but his spine freezes up and a cold sweat takes him over when Natsu notices a red gleaming eye staring back at him through the mirror, a bright wooden smile soon peeking out from behind his shoulder.

 _Silly human. You're not going anywhere!_

Screaming and jumping away from the monstrous thing, Natsu points his flashlight up at the marionette-looking creature that smiles sadistically at him. It bares its sharp pointy teeth at him and all he can do is stare while slowly inching away from it.

 _You're going to stay here and play with us! **FOREVER!**_

It says in a distorted high pitched voice that leaves his stomach churning and his heart almost giving out from fright. Especially when it says the last word in the deepest voice that leaves the walls shaking with an unseen force. Not too long after that more cackling laughter joins as tiny hands reach out through the darkness reaching out towards the horror-struck boy who can't seem to find his voice to scream.

He does, however, manage to turn and run just as one of the tiny hands is about to grab a hold of him managing to grasp and tear a few of Natsu's pink strands of hair. He cries out, but doesn't slow down as he pumps his hands to push himself faster while he desperately searches for a way to escape these monsters.

Doors upon doors pass by Natsu as he continues to search for another hallway to escape. He's more than tempted to stop and check to see if any of the doors he's passing by are open, but if they're locked he knows that he'll just be slowing down giving the grotesque creatures a better chance at catching him.

The laughter of the dolls chasing him along with the wooden clanking sound that they make fills his hears nearly drowning out the sound of his own hammering heart. They call out to him asking him to play and laugh when he tries to quicken his pace, but they just keep on catching up to him no matter how hard he pushes.

 _You can't escape! You can't escape!_

They chant in their sickening voices that change octaves with every syllable they say. Their small hands also never cease in trying to catch him as they continuously swipe nearly grabbing a hold of Natsu's cape that flutters behind him as he continues to run.

By this point every muscle in Natsu is screaming for him to stop and take a break. His breathing is irregular and every breath is getting harder and harder to take. Sweat pours down the teens face making his hair stick to his forehead and pouring into his eyes. His hands are also starting to get sweaty making it hard to keep a good grip on the flashlight that swings everywhere in in his hand not even shining a clear path for him.

Finally, a corner shows up before Natsu and he takes it turning far too fast that his momentum causes him to crash into the nearby wall. He simply pushes himself off the wall throwing himself into the new hallway to continue running. Braving a look back, he watches as the dolls crash into each other as they too hit the wall he had hit earlier. They become a tangled mess of wooden limbs and strings, but it isn't long before they're pursuing him again in a giant ball of tangled dolls.

"Dammit!" Natsu curses as he pushes himself to run faster, but his body is slowly shutting down and he knows that it won't be long before his body just gives up entirely.

Turning another sharp corner Natsu doesn't notice a fallen object that cuts off his path until he's tripping over it. He hits the ground hard that he drops the flashlight and watches it skid across the floor in circles before beaming the light straight at him. He's panting hard, his arms shaking as he lifts himself off of the ground and he knows he's done for, the dolls will eventually catch up and he won't be able to do a thing. He's too tired now, worn out from running so hard and his vision is starting to blur.

 _Caught you!_

Turning, Natsu stares into the glass eyes of the tangled dolls who loom over him with lifeless eyes staring down at him. Long smiles open to present rows of needle sharp teeth that are only inches away from Natsu's face. He can smell their decaying breath that makes him gag, but he doesn't take his gaze away from them for fear that if he does something worse may pop out. What can be worse than this? Honestly, he doesn't even want to risk asking.

 _Game over!_

Natsu laughs at their words because that phrase only meant that he'd lost a match in one of his video games and it would only be a few seconds before his second attempt presented himself. This wasn't a game, however, and now he was starting to realize that it isn't a dream either. He really did end up in a haunted mansion. He really did get chased down hallways by a monster that had literally emerged from his nightmares, his sore body was proof enough. He was really going to die.

"You were right Lis," Natsu murmurs while staring dejectedly at the mass of dolls before him, "I should have listened to you, I'm sorry."

Before the dolls jump on him, a flying object soars over his head and hitting the mass of dolls causing them to tangle with one another even further. They roll away into the darkness that the flashlight doesn't reach and all Natsu can do is stare in awe.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" a voice shrieks beside him as a thin hand grabs his shoulder making him jump, "Do you have a death wish or are you just an idiot?!" Before he can reply he's yanked to his feet and is staring face to face with a girl he's never met before but nevertheless seems so familiar to him, "Hurry up and run!" and without any other warning she takes his hand in hers and drags him down the long dark hallway away from the cackling laughter.

* * *

 **I know it's been a while, but alas I have returned! I hope you enjoyed the chapter and there will be more to come.**

 **Shout Outs**

 **Great amazing thanks to my Fabulous Follower...**

 **\- googly gummy worms**

 **And to my Fantabulous Reviewers...**

 **\- Guest = Sorry it took me a while, but hopefully you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **\- Guest = I'm so happy that you're enjoying my story!**

 **\- Guest = It makes me so happy to hear that! I am really glad that you are enjoying my story and hopefully you enjoyed this chapter as well.**

 **\- Guest = Thank you, the idea for this story just came to me and I've been trying to complete it. Hopefully it continues to catch your interest.**

 **Well that's all the shout outs for today.**

 **If you are enjoying my spine-chilling story so far please give me the honor of Following, Favoriting, and Reviewing - remember, reviews are the reminders I need to update faster - and if you have any questions or haunting ideas you can also PM me and I'll gladly add it in.**

 **Until next time my ghoulies**


	14. Chapter 13

**Happy New Year my haunting readers! Please R &R and I shall see you at the bottom of the page.**

 **POV: Narrator**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, but read on if you so dare...**

* * *

Natsu can hear the dolls behind him cry out in anger as their tangled bodies knock against each other while they try to get back up. He looks back to see if the giant mass is following them, but the hand holding his tugs him harder preventing him from looking back. Instead, Natsu looks ahead at the hand of the girl that is dragging him down hallways and pulling him around sharp corners without letting go.

At one point Natsu almost stops completely when he realizes how familiar the girl's back looks as well as the cool feeling of her hand in his. He recognizes the sight of braided blonde hair as well which has him wanting to ask who she is and why she's been in his dreams as of late. Through their running Natsu had recognized the girl's attire to be that of the same girl who had shown up in his living room… with her eyes missing. For a second the teen dreads seeing her face lest the same image turn around to frighten him once again.

 _GET BACK HERE!_

Jumping at the sound of the dark distorted voices screech behind him, the girl turns one last corner before she stops and looks around the long dimly lit hallway. About to ask why she's stopped, Natsu is silenced when the girl squeals in delight and tugs him towards a dark wooden door that looks to be similar to every door they've passed so far.

She wrenches the door open before shoving Natsu into the room and turning to slam the door just as the large mass of disfigured marionette dolls spots them from down the hall. Their screeching ceases completely once the door is closed leaving both male and female in silence that is slightly disturbed by their heavy breathing.

Groaning from pain of the fall he took after being shoved, Natsu looks up at the girl who had manhandled him while rubbing his knees which had taken most of the force from the fall. Through the darkness Natsu can faintly see the silhouette of the girl as she remains standing in front of the door, her shaking hands clutching the doorknob as if she's expecting someone to try and force their way in. Her forehead is leaned up against the door and her eyes stare intently at the dark wood as if she were able to see right through it.

"That was close," she sighs before slinking down towards the ground, all while still holding the doorknob. It looked almost as if it were some sort of lifeline for her.

After Natsu is able to regain his breathing, he sits up with much difficulty and stares in the direction of the girl who had just saved his life. He opens his mouth but doesn't know what to say. He hasn't quite gotten used to the situation that he's gotten himself into this time and all he can think about is how long that door will last before the dreadful dolls burst in and devour them both.

"Thanks," Natsu breathes out because that's honestly all his scattered brain can process, but he doesn't expect that one word to cause the girl to whirl her head around towards him with what he can only imagine her showing a fatally angry expression towards him.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" he yells causing her words to pierce through the silent air, "Why would you just freeze there to let those things eat you? Did you think playing dead would delude them away? You're an even bigger idiot than I thought if you meant for that to actually work!"

Natsu just stares at the girl not knowing what to say. He hadn't meant to piss her off, especially since he hadn't even known there was another person stuck in this hellhole with him. He had been tired when he had fallen. He didn't know what else to do. All he wanted, and still wants, is for all of this demented madness to just go away. He wants to be home with his cat curled up beside him and hearing his dad downstairs calling for him to get his lazy ass out of bed. He wants his friends to burst through his front door so that they can go on more crazy adventures that don't involve haunted houses. He wants to tell Lisanna that he's sorry for ever doubting her and that he'll never ignore her advice ever again.

But none of that was going to happen because Happy is home alone probably wondering why his owner was taking so long to get home. His father was still at the Magnolia hospital in a deep coma which seemed he would never wake up from. His friends were probably searching for him worried that they couldn't find him, and Lisanna was probably out somewhere blaming herself for something that was not her fault but his own.

Sighing, the girl stands up on shaky legs and searches around the wall before she finds a light switch that floods the room in yellow light. Natsu cringes at the sudden brightness and closes his eyes to allow them to adjust to the sudden light after being exposed to darkness beforehand. Once he can see clearly he notices that they're in a well-furnished room that seems to be decorated in Victorian era furniture.

Everything seems to be covered in different shades of brown, gold, and mahogany with hints of green all throughout the room. A large fireplace sits near the front of the room just across the door with a stiff looking settee placed just across the fireplace and an armchair placed beside it with a dusty coffee table sitting over an elaborate rug just in the middle of it all.

To the right of the room Natsu is surprised to find two beds furnished with expensive moth-eaten bedspreads that didn't seem to retain much warmth. Thick posts hold withered curtains that hang limply from their rails that look like they can fall down any second. Cobwebs even linger in corners around the bed as well as around the room, but no spiders or any type of other bug seem to be present.

The walls are decorated in elaborately designed wallpaper and Natsu can't help but notice how bare the walls are. Not a single picture, painting, or even a window hangs throughout the large room. It only reminds Natsu of how cut off from the world he really is.

"It's a lot to take in, isn't it?" The girl asks making Natsu jump as he suddenly remembers that he isn't alone. The blonde scans the room before she looks over at the bewildered pinkette who is more than relieved to find a pair of warm chocolate eyes staring back at him instead of dark bloody eye sockets. Natsu nods, unable to say a word when he realizes how pretty the girl before him is. He even feels his cheeks heat up which he hastily covers up with his scarf that is still wrapped tightly around his neck, "You should get to bed, I'm sure you're more than tired and overwhelmed," she states before turning to look at both beds seeming to decide which one she'll be sleeping in with a worn-out expression.

"But what about those things? Wont they break into the room?" Natsu asks, his weary eyes turning to look back at the door that had yet to make any sort of noise since the girl before him had closed it not moments ago.

"They won't bother us here," she says with not an inch of worry staining her lulling voice, "I'll explain it all to you tomorrow, but for right now I think it's best if we both just go to bed. We'll be having a really long day tomorrow after all."

Without another word, she moves over to the fireplace and pulls out a matchbox from on top of the stone hearth before lighting one of the sticks and throwing it in. Instantly flames erupt into a tantalizing dance that warms the room that the boy had not even noticed was cold until now. Dark alert eyes watch as the girl walks around the room and checking doors that lead to two empty closets and a restroom that seems to have a working shower and toilet as well as a sink. After exploring the room, the blonde turns off the lights before jumping into one of the empty beds and looking over at Natsu who is still staring at the dancing fire with a lethargic expression.

"You'll get nowhere staring off into space like that," she murmurs, "trust me I know," she says even softer, but Natsu is able to hear it over the crackling of the nearby fire, "Get some rest. Trust me when I say you'll need it," and with that she turns around giving her back to him and settles into the bed without another word.

Natsu looks around the room one last time before he gingerly walks over to the empty bed just a few feet away from the strange girl's own bed. He eyes the covers half expecting a monster to pop out once he pulls back the blankets, but instead he's greeted with lumpy white sheets. Internally groaning, Natsu unwillingly removes his backpack and cloak and places them both on a nearby chair before climbing into bed.

The cushion is lumpy and the blankets are scratchy reminding him a bit of the uncomfortable blankets he would borrow at the hospital when he would sleep over with his dad. Unlike disinfectant, these blankets smell moldy and a bit sour. It bothers his sensitive nose, but he can't complain about the pillow which is surprisingly a good kind of hard/soft. It's comfortable enough to allow him to relax as he heaves a sigh so heavy that he feels it in every inch of his body.

It's at this moment that Natsu realizes that he is deadbeat tired. He feels as if he was hit head on by a moving train leaving every one of his limbs as heavy as lead. His heart is still racing and his brain is still reeling but at this moment sleep doesn't seem so bad of an idea. He's honestly not even scared about any nightmares he may get because he's pretty sure that nothing could beat the nightmare he is already living.

Closing his eyes, Natsu allows the weight of his exhaustion to drag him under into the deepest sleep he has ever had in his entire life.

* * *

 **So I know it's been a while since I've updated this story. Let's just say that the last two months of my year weren't favorable to which I decided to take a small hiatus. My hiatus was only supposed to last until December, but tragedy tends to ruin your plans and so I decided that I wouldn't update until the new year!**

 **I hope during my break you all have been doing well! During my break I've been freshening up my mind and writing ahead a few chapters which means that if no complications occur I'll be able to have a regular updating schedule.**

 **I also want to give out a shout out to everyone of my Favorites, Followers, and Reviewers! You guys are the highlight of my day and I can't wait to hear from you all again!**

 **Also, Chapter 14 will hopefully be updated by either the 10th or 13th of this month, so please look out for that.**

 **Until next time my ghoulies!**


	15. Chapter 14

**I have returned with Chapter 14! Please R &R and I shall see you at the bottom of the page!**

 **POV: Narrator (Lucy)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, but read on if you so dare...**

* * *

The blonde watches the pink-haired male from where she's lying in her own lumpy bed. She listens to his snores intently not at all bothered by the usually obnoxious sound. Her eyes stay glued to the face of the boy she's only seen once in the picture lined on the wall down in the kitchen. Looking at him she wonders how it was that he got here? Did he go in through the front door and get locked in like she had? Or was he a figment of her imagination that is signifying that she has finally lost her mind?

Groaning, Lucy lies on her back and stares up at the cracked roof of her four poster bed not knowing what to think. She's divided between happiness and disgust and can't help but feel a bit sick in the stomach. She's happy because finally after long dark hours of being alone in this desolate place she finally has someone to talk to. She finally has a partner in this forsaken place that isn't a hallucination created by the house that she has to run away from every so often. She isn't alone anymore.

However, the happy thoughts of this boy being stuck in this place doesn't leave her elated for long. How can she be happy for this boy being stuck with her in a place she might as well accept that they won't ever escape from? How was it fair for her to feel joy over his freedom being taken from him like it had been taken from her? It wasn't his fault that he got stuck here and he shouldn't have to suffer with the fear that this place brought on…

But then again she didn't deserve this either.

Rolling back to her side, Lucy tucks her left hand under her pillow and pulls the musky blanket up closer to her face as she continues to watch the sleeping boy. She's exhausted and so thankful to Mavis for having been able to find this peaceful room where she can relax before having to jump back into the fray. She doesn't remember when was the last time she fell asleep but now that she has the chance the blonde can only stare at her sleeping companion.

She's afraid to close her eyes. She feels that if she goes to sleep she'll wake up back in this room with only one bed and her partner gone. She's still scared that he might be an illusion and she's certain that she wouldn't be able to take the deceit very well. Being alone can harm you both physically and mentally. This Lucy has learned from being isolated in this giant place filled with monsters and nightmares.

The boy kicks off his blanket as he stretches and turns to his side. His sleeping face is directed towards Lucy who continues to watch him and notices that he's shivering as he constricts himself into a fetus position. Lucy can tell that he's cold seeming as these rooms don't hold much warmth and the blankets themselves only warm you up so much. Even with the fire burning in the fireplace the room still remains as cold as a giant freezer.

Pushing her own blanket off of her, Lucy stands and cringes a bit as her feet touch the cold floor beneath her. She makes her way towards the bed beside hers feeling the air bite at her exposed arms as she tries not to make too much noise so that she doesn't wake the boy up. Once she reaches the bed she takes the boy's blanket and pulls it up high enough that it almost touches his nose. Lucy notices the boy relax at once as he gives a sigh of content leaving his expression looking boyish and peaceful.

Being so close to the stranger Lucy can now clearly see that the boy doesn't seem to be much older than herself. She wonders if he went to the same high school as herself and if he did how was it that she didn't recognize him.

Even though Lucy hadn't attended Fairy Tail Academy for such a long time she was still able to recognize most of the faces of her fellow peers. She knew what almost everyone looked like, though she still had a long way to go with names, and this boy did not seem familiar at all. Perhaps he was a transfer student like she had been.

Looking above the sleeping boy's head, Lucy can't help but stare at his full head of _PINK_ hair. Sure she'd seen many females with the feminine color, but she doesn't ever recall seeing such a vibrant color on a male before. It's the hair color that worries her the most about this boy being another illusion. She doesn't believe that any sane male would dye their hair such a bright and girly color.

Without thinking, the blonde gently runs her fingers through the spiky pink hair completely amazed to find it soft. She had thought it to be a bit rough but is surprised how easily her fingers glide through the rosy strands. She's even amused when the boy makes a face before huffing out a breath and butting her hand away all while muttering, "Fight me," before his expression slackens once again.

Smiling, the blonde brushes the boy's bangs out of the way just to certify that the boy is real and not a figment of her imagination. Afterwards she climbs back into bed feeling her hand tingle from the first human contact she's had in a really long time. Turning to look back at the boy, Lucy doesn't know how much longer she stares before she too falls asleep.

* * *

 **Sorry that it's short but things should be picking up soon, promise!**

 **So for this story I'll probably stick to updating it on a weekly basis unless I decide on a whim to update earlier. Next chapter will be updated on 1/20/17 and it will revolve a bit on Natsu and Lucy talking and getting to know one another just a bit.**

 **I also want to give a major shout out to my Favorites, Followers, and Reviewers! You guys are all the highlight of my day and always inspire me to try to stick with my update schedule!**

 **Also, If you are enjoying my spine-chilling story so far please give me the honor of Following, Favoriting, and Reviewing - remember, reviews are the reminders I need to get inspired to update - and if you have any questions or haunting ideas you can also PM me and I'll gladly add it in.**

 **Until next time my ghoulies!**


	16. Chapter 15

**Sorry for the wait, but I have returned with chapter 15! Please R &R and I shall see you at the bottom of the page!**

 **POV: Narrator**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, but read on if you so dare...**

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Natsu doesn't know how long he was asleep. When his eyes open what he presumes is the next morning he thinks that whether it was short or long it was still the best sleep he's had in a _really_ long time. Not a single nightmare plagued him. Not even a relatively good dream came that night. His mind was blank and unthinking allowing the rest of his body to rest up which he is thankful that it doesn't feel as if it were hit by a multitude of trucks.

Stretching and burying his face into his pillow, Natsu's hand searches around the free space beside his bed but feels nothing. Confused, he reaches behind him and even kicks around a bit seeming to be looking for a specific object. He comes up empty making him confused.

"Happy, where are you," the boy groans into his pillow in which he has yet to remove his face from as he continues to run his hands across the bed around him searching for the blue feline.

"Who's Happy?"

The golden voice has Natsu pushing himself up off of the bed and turns to look around the room that isn't his. Obsidian eyes scan its surroundings in a flying frenzy before they look down at the comfortable bed that is clearly not his with its scratchy moth eaten blankets. Natsu also notices that he's wearing his costume still and not his normal everyday clothing that he tends to fall asleep in.

At that moment, memories of last night assault him in crashing waves that have him clutching his head as he starts to get dizzy. His stomach churns and he'd likely throw up if it weren't for the fact that his stomach is pretty empty from lack of food. The room is spinning and that guilty feeling at the bottom of his gut nearly doubles him over when he thinks about his friends who are surely still freaking out and searching for him.

"Are you ok?" Looking up, Natsu had completely forgotten that he wasn't alone which eases his shock a bit.

He stares at the girl who is sitting across the room in the settee with a blanket wrapped snugly around herself. Her large doe eyes watch him curiously from where she's sitting.

"Fine," he mutters before falling back on the bed feeling his cheeks burn a bit in embarrassment. He covers his face with his arm to block out the bright fluorescent lights from the room as well as the still burning fire nearby, "How long was I asleep," he then asks because he doesn't know what else to say.

"Quite some time," she says, her voice soft and lulling just as it had been last night, "You must have been very tired," she states as she settles down in her seat without moving her gaze away from him.

"You have no idea," Natsu laughs humorlessly and the girl purses her lips but doesn't say a thing. She did have an idea of what it felt like to be exhausted to the point of when you sleep you just didn't want to ever wake up. She felt it more times than she'd like to.

Silence sits between the two teenagers who stare at one another before averting their eyes after they realize how long they've been staring at each other. Natsu stares down at his hands which are still scrapped from his many falls last night and tries to use the small sting he feels from them to ground him. He still feels like this is a dream, but you don't usually feel pain in dreams. Pain usually tends to wake you up from your nightmares and seeming as he hasn't woken up he can tell that this isn't a dream.

"This is all real, isn't it?" Natsu asks not really meaning to say it out loud.

"Afraid so," the girl responds with a soft sigh escaping her lips, "And I'm sorry to say, but things don't get any easier or better form this point," she says while staring off into the fireplace with a worn out look, a look that Natsu had seen only on the faces of those much older than themselves. Looks only adults with hard lives ever give off.

"What's your name?" Natsu then asks wanting to distract the girl from whatever gloomy thoughts she may be having. One thing Natsu has never liked in his life is for the people around him to be in depressing moods. It bothered him seeing this girl look so low-spirited who no doubt had a beautiful glowing smile hiding beneath that dark frown.

"Lucy," the girl says while turning to look at the boy whose dark eyes shine with a childish glow she hadn't seen in anyone's eyes in a long while. She's so used to seeing eyeless pits, ominous glass eyes, as well as sinister vile eyes. Seeing this boy's eye's glow with merriment and curiosity is a welcomed change that she knows she can get used to, "What's your name?"

"Natsu Dragneel," Natsu states with a wide smile, a smile that is without malice but shines with a boyish brilliance.

"It's nice to meet you Natsu," Lucy states with a small smile of her own.

"It's nice to meet you at last too Lucy," Natsu says making the blonde give him a look of confusion, "Oh right, I totally forgot," Natsu says while smacking a hand against his forehead, "I saw you in a few dreams I've had in the past few days," he explains going back to when he first dreamed of her saving him from the dolls the first time all the way to when he had seen her standing in his living room with bloody eye sockets that make her cringe as she unconsciously touches underneath her eyes.

"That must have been a sight," she mutters while burrowing into her blanket and glaring her gorgeous brown eyes at the beaming pink haired boy, "By the way, I have a question," she mutters through her blanket but the boy nods seeming to have been able to have heard her, "Why would you dye your hair pink of all colors?"

To Lucy it looks like a rubber band within the boy snaps as he lunges toward the edge of the bed in a flash with a comical angry face burning on fire as he yells, "IT'S NOT PINK Its SALMON!" sounding almost as if this weren't the first time someone had made that mistake before, "And I didn't dye it, my hair is naturally this color!"

Lucy loses it, she tries to contain her laughter but bursts out laughing when the boy's irritated pout becomes too much for her. She laughs so hard that her sides begin to hurt and doesn't notice when Natsu joins in the laughter, happy to see that the girl before him wasn't looking down like she had before.

Both teenagers laugh for quite a while before Natsu's stomach groans so loud that they both jump thinking that it was some sort of monster that had somehow gotten into the room. They stay silent as they look around before the sound returns making the muscles in Natsu's stomach tense in monstrous betrayal.

Natsu guiltily holds his stomach making the blonde giggle as another round of whale mating calls rumble from the boy's stomach. He tries to remember when was the last time he ate and he realizes that he hadn't had anything since lunch the previous day. He's surprised that his stomach hadn't woken him up in the middle of the night demanding food like it usually did when he didn't eat.

"I'm guessing you're hungry," Lucy states more than asks and the boy nods not liking her cringe when his whale noises start to become more insistent. He doesn't miss the uncertain look she throws towards the door that they had entered through last night almost like she didn't want to go through it again. Honestly he doesn't blame her. He's not too thrilled to go through the door that seems to have kept them safe for the past few hours and he's certain that that's the reason why Lucy doesn't want to leave as well.

"We don't have to go. I'm not that hungry to be honest," Natsu tries to assure the girl, but his stomach retaliates by giving an even louder rumble that has the boy laughing sheepishly at the girl's pointed look.

"No, we should go get some food," Lucy says while unwinding herself from the blanket, "We should do it before it gets late. The monsters don't come out until nighttime so we should get to the kitchens quickly before they do come out. Make sure to bring all your stuff with you. I highly doubt that we'll be back to this room any time soon. We'll most likely have to sleep in another room if we don't make it back in time," she instructs and Natsu quickly puts his backpack and cloak back on.

He follows the girl towards the door and watches her reach out to grab the handle before she hesitates and closes her hand into a fist. Twirling around, she places both hands on her hips and with an air of authority stares straight at the boy before her looking determined.

"Before we leave we need to go over some rules," she states with an authoritative voice that slightly reminds Natsu of Erza. The thought of the red head makes him a bit homesick, but he pushes those feelings aside because right now he should be paying attention to the blonde before him. From the tone of his voice he can tell that what she's about to tell him could ultimately help him in a life or death situation, "Rule one, don't stray too far away from me. The last thing I need is to lose you in this place, and trust me when I say that you can easily get lost out there. This place is basically a maze and once you turn a corner when you try to retrace your steps you'll end up somewhere completely different. Rule two, try not to look anything in the eyes. I've learned that when nighttime hits the paintings like to give away my location to any monster out on the hunt.

"Rule three, when in the kitchen you can eat any of the food that you find and it's best that you save as much of it in your bag as you'll never know when you'll find the kitchen again. Also, don't eat any of the food after the monsters come out. I've never tried it but I've always gotten the feeling that I shouldn't eat anything until I'm back in one of the safe rooms. Rule four: try not to get caught by the monsters, although that's really a basic rule that you probably already understand. Rule five, and probably one of the most important rules in my opinion is don't, under any circumstances, open any of the doors. Nothing beyond those doors holds anything good. All safe rooms like this one are marked with a gold doorknob so unless it's gold you keep your hands far away from any of the other doors, you got that?" she asks and the pink haired boy nods his head vigorously making the girl sigh in relief

"What's beyond those other doors?" Natsu can't help but ask. He needs to know as much as possible because the last thing he wants to cause any more problems to Lucy who seems so adamant about keeping the boy safe. She's saved his life once, and to Natsu that seems once too many.

He doesn't mean it in any sexist way, but Natsu has never been one to like it when others put their lives on the line for his sake. He's more than thankful to Lucy for having saved him when she had, but he does not wish for the same fate to happen once more. He'd rather go on a long streak of preventing the blonde from having any more trouble than he's sure she's had. He needs to learn to survive this place so that Lucy doesn't have to worry so much about him as if he were a little defenseless boy. He needs to be strong enough so that they both can take care of each other.

"Beyond those doors lay nightmares much worse than anything you can ever imagine," Lucy whispers so low Natsu almost misses it.

The dark look in Lucy's eyes keep him from asking any further and he knows that she's been through those forbidden doors before and lived to tell the tale. He just hopes that he doesn't ever have to ever enter those rooms, although the wild side of him curiously wants to peek into at least one room. Just to see what Lucy has seen so that he can have a better understanding of the girl, but he knows better than to be curious.

Curiosity killed the cat after all…

"Are you ready?" Lucy eventually asks, her face a bit brighter than before but still holding a determined look that somewhat reminds Natsu of a soldier going out to war.

Taking a deep breath and shaking out his tense muscles, he nods and watches as the blonde swings the door open.

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 **Sorry for the wait again guys, my internet was cut off and I haven't been able to update until now! However, to make up for my tardiness I shall hopefully be updating two chapters before the end of the week so look out for that.**

 **I also want to give a major shout out to my Favorites, Followers, and Reviewers! You guys are all the highlight of my day and always inspire me to try to stick with my update schedule!**

 **Also, If you are enjoying my spine-chilling story so far please give me the honor of Following, Favoriting, and Reviewing - remember, reviews are the reminders I need to get inspired to update - and if you have any questions or haunting ideas you can also PM me and I'll gladly add it in.**

 **Until next time my ghoulies!**


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